Trust is a Must
by Eragon Namikaze
Summary: Beast Boy is furious at the team for not trusting him. Then he turns into the Beast and is kicked off the team. Several years later, he comes back, but as a different person to face a new threat. Please tell me what you think of this story so far!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first time writing a fanfic, lol. Anyway, my pen name is Eragon, but I don't have an account yet, but I asked my friend here to post it on her profile. By the way, I'm a BBRae fan. There are subtle hints that Raven has a crush on Beast Boy. I don't do mushy-mushy romance. I like to do stories that have subtle hints in them that suggest that one character is in love with another character. In this case, Raven and Beast Boy.**

**This is a very long one-shot.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. I only own this story.**

"Beast Boy! Get over here now!" Robin suddenly shouted. Beast Boy, who was in the middle of playing video games with Cyborg, immediately dropped the controller, knowing how Robin was impatient when mad or annoyed. As he walked past Raven, he saw her amethyst eyes were filled with worry and concern before they closed.

"Beast Boy! How could you let Dr. Light get away? You just had to make a fool of yourself, distracting us and allowing Dr. Light to escape. Sometimes, I don't even know why the team, including I, trust you," Robin ranted. When he reached the end of his rant, he walked straight to Beast Boy to see his reaction. What he saw surprised him. Instead of looking at the floor, eyes full of guilt, he was looking at Robin without fear in his face, his eyes full of anger. For some reason, things kept exploding in the background. Both the boys looked at Raven, who stopped meditating and was looking at the boys back. Beast Boy could tell by your eyes that she was annoyed by what Robin just said.

Beast Boy turned back to Robin with his teeth gritting together, "How dare you lecture me on trust, Robin? You don't even trust me anymore! And that includes Cyborg and Starfire! You guys are always tense around me. You know, Robin, lecturing about trust to me isn't a good idea. I'm still angry and bitter at the team except Raven. I felt sad about how you reacted and felt lonely until only, and only, Raven comforted me." Emotions flew all over his face and in his eyes, all of which were negative emotions. The one that stood out the most in his face and eyes was bitterness. Robin could tell he was very bitter about something, the question is what? He suddenly thought of a very good idea.

"Okay, how about this, Beast Boy? We spar in the training room, no powers. If I win, you have to tell us what's wrong and why you don't trust Cyborg, Starfire, and me. If you win, you don't have to tell us. You can if you want to. Deal?" Robin finished, sticking his hand out. Beast Boy thought it over and shook Robin's hand. He knew that if Cy and Star trusted in him to be able to defeat Robin, they do trust him. If you don't, well, it proves they don't think he can do the impossible.

In the ring, Robin immediately thrust out his arm to punch Beast Boy, but he dodged it with the flexibility of a snake. Cy, Star, and Raven were amazed. Cy and Star thought that Robin would win, but Raven and her emotions, thought that Beast Boy would win. Since Beast Boy was part animal, he can read body language very well. He saw that Cyborg and Starfire would think that Robin would win, but only Raven was rooting for him. He felt negative emotions rise up in him.

During the fight (or spar), Robin kept attacking Beast Boy with every fighting style that Batman taught him. However, Beast Boy avoided the attacks with the flexibility of a snake and the landing of a cat. He attacked back with a ferocity of a tiger and the accuracy of a crane. It was like all of the animals that Beast Boy can turn into are fighting Robin, but in human form. Robin tried to punch him, but Beast Boy was expecting it. He ducked, then grabbed Robin's arm. He flipped Robin out of the ring. Cyborg declared Beast Boy the winner.

Back in the common room, Raven and Beast Boy sat on the couch next to each other while Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire stood up. The silence was broken by Robin, "Fine, Beast Boy, you win. Do you want to tell us why you don't trust us? "The others leaned in to hear Beast Boy answer.

"The Beast incident," he replied simply. "The moment it looked I was the one who attacked Raven, you guys turned on me and acted like I was a criminal who couldn't be forgiven."

"I'm sorry, but all the evidence pointed at you," Robin instantly replied back, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Bullshit.I looked at the security cameras, and I put Raven down gently before fighting you. Also, since the Beast is like an animal, his instincts must have told him to fight the team when you guys charged. Besides, I also saw that Adonis and I were fighting and some hair got loose. I'm pretty sure that the gray fur would have stood out against the green fur. And isn't normal procedure for the victim to wake up before testifying the fact. The time it seemed that I was a criminal, all of you except Raven turns against me," Beast Boy pointed out, his eyes full of anger and hurt. "When it seemed that I was the one who attacked Raven, where was the so-called trust when I claimed I should never hurt Raven? You threw that trust out the window the moment you guys saw Raven in my teeth."

Robin replied back, "Oh yeah? Name all the times when we did wrong things, but the team still trusted that person." The other members instantly knew he made a wrong move.

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed, making it seem like he was a feral animal. "Oh, yeah? Well, Robin, for your information, everybody here, including Terra, did something wrong, so wrong that it could have cost us one teammate or millions of lives. When they did do it, did we turn our backs on them? No, we tried to help that person."

This time, Robins' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "When? When did we all do something wrong?" he challenged.

Beast Boy growled like a wolf. "Fine. When Robin became Slade's apprentice and Red-X, we forgave him and didn't threaten to put him in jail, even though he deserved it. Robin, you were trained by the world's greatest detective, but you didn't even try to put the puzzle together. You automatically assumed it was me." Now he looked at Cyborg and Starfire with bitterness written in his eyes and all over his face. "Okay, Raven, when I say about what you did wrong, please don't be mad at me. I'm not mad at you since you helped me with the incident. Okay?" Raven thought about it and agreed. She knew what incident he's going to say and that he won't say that jerk's name. (A/N By the way, the "jerk" is Malchior, the dark dragon who broke Raven's heart. I hate him!)

Beast Boy nodded. "Alright. When Raven let loose that fire-breathing jerk, what did we after we defeated him? We comforted her instead of kicking her off the team. Cyborg, when it seemed like you were on Brother Blood's side, we didn't just abandon you. No! We tried to get you back to your "senses." And when Starfire seemed to be a thief when the alien police said so, we didn't believe them. Instead, we tried to free her. When Terra became Slade's new apprentice, what did we do in the end? We tried to convince her to be on our side. You know as well as I do that even if Terra survived, you wouldn't put her into jail." he finished and walked out of the common. A few seconds later, it could be heard of him punching the walls. Raven looked at Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire with her eyes full of anger. They were very intimidated by her, but more by Beast Boy. He was right. When he needed them the most, they turned their back on him, except Raven. She was the only one who comforted him and helped him.

Raven growled at them, "Well done. You just made him feel worse. He's right, you know. Robin, you had no right to lecture him on trust. He trusted you guys to believe he told the truth, but you turned your backs on him. He felt betrayed that his friends, no, his family abandoned him and threatened to lock him in jail and lock away the key." With those final words, she glided out of the common room. They didn't see it, but she was crying at how badly his family treated him when he became the Beast.

**Hi there! I already mentioned that I'm pen name is Eragon. I'm ChessirePawn's friend. Since I don't have an account yet, I asked her to post this on her profile. However, this story is mine, not hers, keep that in mind. This one-shot is basically about how Beast Boy felt after the Beast incident. I'm planning to write more fanfics in the near future, but first, I want to see how many reviews I can get for this one. By the way, in some of my stories, my OC will be in them. He's Beast Boy himself, name's Eragon Namikaze. Hope to write to all you BBRae fans soon! **

**Since I now have my own fanfic account, you don't have to read and review the stories already on ChessirePawn's profile because I'll have them upload here on MY porfile.**

**Thank you to those who did review my fanfics; I am very grateful to you.**

**Also, thank you Chessirepawn, for uploading my fanfics when I was unable. You're a true friend, a friend that I'm proud of having.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Eragon here again! Even though Trust is a Must was supposed to be a one-shot at first, it didn't feel right leaving the story hanging there. So I decided to add another chapter. Hope you BBRae fans can enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, though sometimes I wish I did. (In my POV, this chapter kind of stinks/sucks.)**

As she glided out of the common room, crying at how cruelly the team treated Beast Boy, her emotions started saying their opinions about each teammate.

"_How could they turn their backs on Beast Boy_," growled Rage. (A/N The italics are Raven's emotions. "_Let me tear them apart, starting with Robin._

For once, Timid agreed with Rage, and they never, as in never, agreed on anything. In small parts of her, she was cared about how Beast Boy must be feeling, but it was small compared to the hatred at the team. _"Yeah, let Rage out. They deserve it," _Timid's voice was full of anger.

Knowledge interrupted, _"Wait, I think we're rushing this decision. Yes, the judged Beast Boy too rashly and too harshly, but they proved it later on that they do trust him. Raven, I won't ask you to have this not affect you, but at least let some emotions get out. Bottling it up is not good, especially in this situation."_

"Why not?" Raven asked. Her tears have died down, but her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were red, and her lips were shaking slightly. It was clear that this was taking quite a mental toll on her.

This time, Wisdom answered, _"If you keep all these negative emotions bottled up, it will completely change Happy and Love. Happy hasn't been smiling since Beast Boy told his true feelings. Love is pained by his negative emotions. According to Knowledge, who Love and Happy trusts the most, Love could tell that there was another, deeper bitterness that Beast Boy feels. And since she's a part of you, who is an empath, the negative emotions are killing her inside out. So, as you can see, this situation is very dire." _(A/N Wow, haven't use dire in a long time, lol.)

Raven sighted mentally, "I just can't let my emotions loose. People could get hurt or even killed. But, I do have a question: What is this other bitterness?"

_"We don't know. All any of us know is that it has something to do with you, Raven. I suggest that you confront Beast Boy, but tread carefully. Beast Boy is feeling emotions he was buried deep within. Now it has been unearthed. That is all we can say. Good luck, for if you fail, your emotions will suffer the consequences."_

Raven sighed heavily, "Leave it to my emotions to mess with this whole situation up. I might as well release some of my emotions first before confronting Beast Boy. Robin suddenly tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped while putting her hood up out of habit.

"What's wr-"Raven cutted him off, "Don't talk to me. I still haven't forgiven you or the rest of the team for hurting Beast Boy mentally." With those words, she phased right in Robin's startled face and in a forest. She spread her mind out to see if there are any animals around, but strangely enough, there wasn't. Her shoulders stared shaking and tears kept spilling out. Truthfully, Beast Boy's bitterness and negative emotions have affected her greatly. Since she was an empath, the emotions were overwhelming and it felt like for a moment, that she was Beast Boy. She was also hurt that the other members didn't even try to help Beast Boy. All they did was attack him, provoking him instead of trying to calm him down. Her powers started getting crazy. Trees were falling and the land was getting flatten. By the time Raven was finished crying, the whole area around her was just a huge clearing.

"Time to go back to the Tower," she mumbled tiredly. The crying had taken a lot out of her. In her mind, some of the pressure was lifted off of Happy and Love. She phased right in front of Beast Boy's door. She knocked there times, but heard nothing, not even a shuffle. Raven punched in the code as quickly as she could, worried that a villain too him away. But it was fine. Beast Boy's room was as messy as ever. His clothes were scattered all over the place, his desk was cluttered, and his bed was messed up. She suddenly felt a cold draft in the air and saw the window open.

_"He must have flown out of the window. Either check his rock, err, boulder or the rooftop, or might as well use your powers to find him. Come on, Raven! Go, go, go!"_ Brave shouted in Raven's head. Raven noticed that Brave's voice was shaking slightly, as if she was genuinely scared for Beast Boy. And if that wasn't bad enough, Beast Boy just disappeared.

That conversation must have had a really been a mental toll on him. She closed her eyes and tried to sense Beast Boy. To her surprise, Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg were feeling guilty about hurting their so-called friend mentally and physically. She mentally searched the rooftop and was instantly hit with a barrage of powerful negative emotions, mostly bitterness. As she was trying to recede away from the emotions, she accidently heard one of Beast Boy's thoughts, "Who could ever love a Beast?" before she was "back" in her own body.

Her leotard was soaked with her sweat at feeling his emotions. Her emotions, especially Love, Brave, and Happy, was seriously upset by what Beast Boy just thought. She immediately ran out of his room and to the rooftop. In Nevermore, her emotions were a mess. Happy, Love, and Brave were crying. Knowledge and Wisdom were shocked. Rude was actually trying to get them to say a word. Rage was silent, but tears were streaming down her face. Timid was mad, or seriously angry, at the teammates for hurting Beast Boy by making him think that he can be loved. Raven flung open the door and saw Beast Boy sitting at the edge of the rooftop, watching the sunset.

"Hi, Raven," he said tonelessly, uncannily sounding like Raven. "I'm just watching the sunset." He turned to his head to Raven. His face was void of emotions, but his eyes, she could see conflicting emotions in them. She sat down next to him.

She sighed, "That conversation really took a toll, didn't it?"

"Yes. It forced me to unearth feelings that I had carried deep within me for a long time. It forced me to reveal my grudge, my bitterness, and the fact that I don't trust them anymore."

Raven murmured softly, "Yes, but Boy Blunder made it clear that you didn't have to answer the question. So, why did you?"

If it wasn't for his sensitive ears, he might not have heard, "It was because of my rage. I wanted to vent out my feelings. I wanted my grudge to be know, but I didn't think about I would feel after I told them. My instincts it was good time to tell them, so I did. Yes, I felt sad. Yes, I felt bitter, but it's nothing compared to how I feel now." Raven could feel that he most likely resigned himself that he could never be loved. She decided to ask him something that's been bothering her since she tried to find him. Even now, the thought bothered her and her emotions.

Raven asked slowly, "Is it about someone you love? If it is, who is it?"

Beast Boy's head jerked up, his eyes narrowing, "How do you know? Wait a second, did you read my emotions or thoughts?"

"I was trying to find you through my empathy, and I accidentally read you thought." His body relaxed, his fists slowly unclenching.

He grimaced, "It doesn't matter. She doesn't love me. She barely notices me. Sometimes I wonder, are we really best friends or is she pretending?" He refused to look her in the eyes, instead watching the sunset. Raven, from her point of view, could see that his mouth became a scowl and his eyes had sadness and another familiar emotion.

_"Take a picture; it'll last longer." _Rude belched. She cringed a little as Raven got a little angry at her for ruining the moment.

_"I think I know what's wrong, Raven,"_ Love interrupted. "Wait a second, aren't you supposed to be hurting right now?" Raven said frustrated at the fact that her own mind was turning against her.

_"Yes, but now that I'm near him, I feel a very positive emotion and it's healed me. Apparently, that positive emotion is love,"_ she said dreamily when a smile appeared on her face.

How do you know that he loves me?" Raven grimaced mentally, although secretly, she was jumping for joy that Beast Boy mostly loves her back.

_"Really Raven, you can't be that stupid. He's obviously talking about you. He just said that the girl he likes barely notices him. Think about it, when heave you ever sought for his company?"_ Raven though about it and realized that she never went to Beast Boy for company. He normally came to her. She went to "the mall of shopping" and the girl talk with Starfire and has helped Cyborg with his T-car. Hell, she's even helped Robin with his files. But, now that Raven though about it, when has she ever asked Beast Boy to accompany her when going to the bookstore or going to the rooftop with her? Never. She resolved to fix this.

"Do you want to come hang with me at the bookstore?" she asked out of the blue. He looked at her suspiously. He had every right to. Raven has never asked Beast Boy to accompany her or hang out with her.

"Sure, but if this is some trick-" "It's not. Trust me." Raven interrupted. He nodded, "Let's go. Beast Boy morphed into a raven. Raven noticed that he never morphed into a raven before.

"Actually, Raven, you're wrong. Beast Boy actually has done it a lost recently. You unconsciously store memories of him and I watch them since I also am having a crush on him since I am you. I can't believe you never noticed that. For someone who's starting to love Beast Boy, you really are dense." Raven took offense at the last sentence, but as much as she denied it, knowledge was right. She hasn't really been noticing what Beast Boy has been doing. Only Love and a few, alright, the rest of her emotions watched him carefully.

She glanced at him. He was watching at her eyes very carefully with his beady green eyes. He was trying to see if she was alright since Raven was staring out into space. He was in love with Raven, and so cared for her safety more than his. She nodded and he took it as a sign that she was alright. He cawed, taking off. Raven soon followed. A few minutes later, they were walking toward the bookstore. On the way, everybody sent hated looks at them and stones at Raven for fear of her killing them. The stones left little bruises on his skin, but Beast Boy didn't mind; he was used to it. He knew that the people didn't like him because he wasn't normal; he was green. Raven was enraged at the people's actions; Beast Boy risked his life to defend the people in this city and this what he gets in return?

_"Let me out! Let me punish them for hurting our Beast Boy!_" Rage growled, pulling at her chains, her four red eyes narrowing in anger. For once in her life, she was tempted to let Rage out, but she didn't. Even though the people were treating Beast Boy like an animal (shudders), she couldn't harm them. It would prove that she is a monster and a demon (although only half). Instead, she let out a black force field around them. Beast Boy was surprised. Raven has never really helped him before, but he accepted it gratefully. It might no look that bad for a superhero, but stones do hurt a lot, especially since the people threw them as hard as they can.

"Take a look around. I'm going to go take a look at the goth part of the store. I'm sure they have comics." Raven spoke, snapping Beast Boy out of his thoughts. He nodded, his green eyes shining at the thought of being able to hang out with the one he loves. A corner of books caught his eyes. When he took a look at them, he found out that they were about mythical creatures. Deep down, Beast Boy hoped that he could transform into mythical creatures, but his knowledge was very limited. In fact, the only creatures he knew were dragons, unicorns, and phoenixes. He didn't want to transform into a dragon because of the fire-breathing jerk. **(A/N He means Malchior. I hate him!)** The reason he didn't want to turn into the other two was because he didn't know their structures very well and he could probably die. He randomly took one book and boy was it full of mythical creatures. That's not the best part; it had very specific details about their structures. Beast Boy was so absorbed in the book that he didn't noticed Raven sneaking up behind him.

"Are you actually interested in a book?" Raven asked in disbelief. She couldn't believe her eyes; seeing Beast Boy reading a book was a miracle in it itself.

"Uh, yeah. This book was really interesting and I've loved mythical creatures. It's most likely because that they were created from imagination," he replied nervously, afraid that Raven would tease me about it. After all, it's not every day you would see him with a book.

Raven sensed that Beast Boy was scared that she would tease him and asked, "Want me to buy that book for you? You obviously are interested in it."

Beast Boy's eyes shined, "Really? Sure, but if you complain later all, you can't blame me. After all, you were the one to suggest it." She nodded and went to the counter to pay for the books. She had found another book that she was interested in. Raven transported the books to her room, and she and Beast Boy went for a walk to the harbor. By the time they reached there, it was sunset.

"Wow, the sunset looks pretty beautiful," Beast Boy commented. Raven just nodded in agreement. Beast Boy enjoyed the day very much, considering the fact that he spend nearly the whole day with Raven. Today has been an emotional rollercoaster. However, in his heart, he knew that Raven would never fall in love with him. **(A/N Oh, the irony. He thought never, but in the end it happened, lol**.) After all, he was a Beast and couldn't be trusted. On top of that, he wasn't even very popular. He is a Titan, but he had never got much attention. It was either Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, or even Kid Flash. But it was never him. Hell, even Raven had more attention than him.

Raven sensed his disturbance. She peered into his mind for a little while and mentally gasped. He was thinking about he never got attention. All of her emotions were shocked. They had thought that since Beast Boy was famous, he would have most of the attention, but as it turns out, he barely got any attention. No wonder why he always tries to make a big thing out of everything, just to attract attention. Nobody, not even Cyborg, his best friend, noticed that he felt lonely. "Just like me," Raven though with a pang in her heart.

Beast boy looked over her and his animal instincts urged him to kiss her. He did so without thinking. Both gasped at the new sensation they were feeling. It felt like electricity was going through their bodies. Raven responded after a few seconds, kissing back with just as much passion as Beast Boy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing their bodies together. Slowly, they broke apart with their mouths wide and gasping hard. Beast Boy looked deeply in her eyes and saw many emotions, including hope.

**Wow! Not a bad ending if I do say so myself. They kissed, but what is Raven's reaction and will they get together? Find out next time. Warning: I probably won't update soon cause I'll be working on a new fanfic named Teen Titans Karaoke Party. It won't just have karaoke; it'll also have some battles just to spice it up a little.**

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	3. author's note

**Those who enjoy this fanfic so far, I'm sorry to say that it will take a long time for me to update this. I'm not abandoning it; in fact, I do have the ideas for it. There are two reasons why I can't update it soon.**

**1. I can't put my ideas into words.**

**2. My head keeps thinking about Teen Titans karaoke party and some other fanfic one-shots.**

**Again, sorry, but I just can't continue it if my head is thinking of other ideas and can't put the idea to words.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I must admit, I never really thought that Trust is a Must would be more popular than my other fanfics. I never really thought that **_**my very first fanfic**_** could get more popularity than my other fanfics. The reason why I'm very surprised is because in the past, I never wrote a fiction story of my own free will. It always was a school assignment, but now it doesn't have to be.**

**Thank you to all who love his story! Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, or any of the characters.**

"That was amazing," Beast Boy sighed upon breaking the kiss. Raven nodded, dumbfounded. That kiss took a lot out of her. She looked into his emerald eyes and saw adoration, and something deeper, love. He loved her, and so did she. She couldn't keep her abnormally large smile off her face and she could see that it was the same for Beast Boy. He had a dreamless look in his eyes

He kissed Raven! Beast Boy, the green jokester, kissed Raven, the ice queen and survived! He was in love with her, but wasn't sure if Raven felt the same. Now looking in her eyes, he saw love clear in her eyes and instantly knew that she loved him just as much as he loved her. He had an abnormally large smile on his face and couldn't wipe it off, neither could Raven. He still couldn't that he had kissed _the _Raven and she responded!

Suddenly, ruining the moment, Beast Boy's communicator rang. "What?" Beast Boy asked rather annoyed with the leader. "Not now, Beast Boy! There are some villains downtown!" Beast Boy nodded and closed the communicator, fists clenching. Bird Boy's timing couldn't be worse. At the moment, he was trying to let the Beast get out again, but thanks to Raven's presence, the Beast was slightly calm and he could suppress him. To Beast Boy's relief, Raven phased them to where the Titans were.

What they saw surprised them a little. The villains didn't have any superpowers, but the majority of them were robots. Out of the 20-30 villains, only five were humans. "Titans, GO!" Robin shouted at the top of his lungs.

All the Titans instantly sprang into action. Starfire blasted robots apart with her starbolts and eye-bolts. All the robots were no match for her. They tried to fire with guns, but they did no damage to Starfire, which was a good thing or else Robin would have snapped. Whenever a robot was too close to Starfire, she ripped it apart with her bare hands. She alone took down about half of the army.

Cyborg just did his old routine, meaning he just punches as hard as he can. The robots' sharp claws did nothing to his skin because of the fact that he's part machine. Even though he hates that fact, there are some advantages to having mostly metal skin. During his battle, he noticed that most of the robots were trying to gang on him, so he unleashed his sonic cannon. He spun in a circle and took down more than Starfire.

As for Robin, he took down about 1/3, which is sad since he's the leader. He attacked furiously with his bow staff. He had to be extra careful with the robots because of their sharp claws. He had some scratches, but none of them were very serious. Instead, he just kept fighting, but because of his carefulness, he was a bit slower than the rest of the Titans in taking down the enemies.

Beast Boy fought the rest of the robots. He turned into a lion and scratched the robots' heads, making the rest of the body explode. One of them tried to punch him, but he changed into a hummingbird and flew right behind it. He changed to a tiger and pounced on it and scratched it as hard and fast as he can. He knew that during the battle, he would have to release some of the Beast's pent-up urges and then he would able to control him if the Beast accidently got out. One robot was sneaking behind him, but a blast of dark magic stopped it. He looked gratefully at Raven. Then his mouth clenched. What he saw made him turn into his worse animal form.

With the others fighting the robots, Raven was fighting against the five humans, who had normal guns. She levitated random objects and threw it at the villains. She got about three, but the other two kept shooting at her. She merely created a black shield. When the shots were over, she swung the shield like a Frisbee and it hit one of the men. While the other guy was distracted, she looked over to Beast Boy. He was furiously attacking a robot even though it was long dead. Gasping, she saw another robot able to attack her almost boyfriend and immediately fired a beam at it. While she fired that beam, the other guy recovered and shot at her. By the time Raven managed to know where the sound came from, it was too late. The bullet hit her and she fell. Blood was quickly soaking her body.

Out of nowhere, the Beast attacked the guy. It raised its paw, ready to strike the man, but out of the blue, BB's voice ran in his head. He miraculously managed to stay awake and stop his body from killing the man. _"Stop! What's the point to hurting him when Raven is in danger? Go help Raven! She's hurting! The man doesn't matter, but she does! If we truly love her, then forget this man!"_

The Beast responded, his words slow, but BB could sense hatred, _"Man hurt mate. Must kill."_

_"That's not it works! Don't you care Raven's dying? She's dying and you just want petty revenge! If we truly loved Raven, then you would help her, not kill this man and waste time!" _The words finally came through and the Beast actually listened to Beast Boy and went to Raven instead. He gently nudged her with his long black snout. She didn't move, but instead went into her recovery trance. The wound slowly sealed up, but it would probably take an hour or two for Raven to be completely recovered and waken up. The Beast gently put her on his back.

Cyborg came up and said," Yo! Let me on! I can help Raven still survive, but you have to trust me!" The Beast was reluctant, but unfortunately for it, when it followed BB's orders, it had made BB the alpha of the body, therefore Beast Boy was now in control of the body. Seeing his opportunity, he quickly shoved the Beast's consciousness back in the depths of his mind, but still retained the form.

Beast Boy, in the Beast's body, nodded, and knelt down, letting Cyborg on. The moment he was on, he ran as fast as he could while being careful not to jostle her injuries even more. Starfire lifted Robin up and flew as fast as she could to catch up with them. Robin saw some people being scared of the Beast again and tried to hurt him, but Robin intervened. When the people saw him, they were relieved and immediately stopped trying to hurt the Beast. It was the incident all over again; it's looks like Beast Boy kidnapped one or two of the Titans and the others are on the chase. Robin shook his head in distaste. He still couldn't shrug off the question of how Beast Boy was in control and that deep down, the Beast was still dangerous. Starfire was worried for both Raven and Beast Boy, Raven for her physical health and Beast Boy for his mental health. She couldn't help but wonder if the Beast is truly dangerous. She saw the urge to kill that man in its pure white eyes. She saw that it wanted to murder the man in cold blood. Starfire did not know what caused it to not kill the man (thankfully), but she was almost terrified of the force that made it obey it. After all, if someone or something can control it, then the Titans probably can't defeat it/him/her. She didn't know that it was actually her friend Beast Boy who made the Beast submit.

Upon arriving at the Tower, Cyborg immediately went to the med room and hooked up the machines to Raven. Beast Boy transformed back into his human form, exhausted. After all, it's not easy to carry a cyborg and an empath, running as fast as you can. The monitors showed that Raven was in good health and should wake up in oh, about two minutes. Ever since her father was defeated, her powers have increased, including her healing powers. Before, it would taken an hour, but now, it would take 10 minutes. Her power grew that strong.

Right when Robin and Starfire arrived, Raven woke up. She suddenly sat up in surprise, but then realized she was in the med room. Beast Boy said quite calmly despite the situation," Don't worry. They'll be in jail. We already destroyed all the robots and the police can take care of the rest." Raven nodded, dumbfounded. Starfire looked like she wanted to hug her, but resisted, which is a good thing because she didn't think that she could handle that kind of pressure yet. **(A/N My friends once gave me 3 death hugs in a row, and my ribs were sore for an hour. I joked that it was like Starfire's hug, which I swear it was. Now I know how the Titans fee ^^) **Cyborg looked like a concerned big brother. To Raven, Cyborg was always like a brother she never had. Beast Boy seemed troubled; she felt the Beast's presence for a while when she was out. Robin looked serious as usual; however, he seemed to scan Beast Boy while his back was turned. Raven had an uneasy feeling about that.

"Friend Raven! How are you?" Starfire practically shouted, breaking the awkwardness and silence. She always had a bubbly attitude. Robin turned his gaze to her, trying to calculate her injuries.

"Yes, Starfire. I am." Cyborg raised a questionable eyebrow. Raven sighed, knowing she would have to explain," Now that my father is gone, my powers have grown a lot, including my healing powers." Everybody nodded, relieved that Raven was safe and sound.

Beast Boy abruptly left the med room. Just before he left, Raven saw anger, guilt, and frustration. "Come on, team. We need to tie a few loose strings with Beast Boy," Robin spoke, following the changelings' trail to the common room.

"What Robin?" Beast Boy asked the moment the team entered the room. He was sitting on the couch, head down and in his hands.

Robin went into leader mode immediately," We need to talk about the Beast."

The effect was immediate. Beast Boy jumped over the couch and landed as softly as a cat. "Why does it matter? I controlled it. It didn't kill that man."

"But it was close to doing that. I need to know how you controlled it. It's important I know."

Beast Boy laughed, a dark laugh, "You know, for being trained by the greatest detective, you sure are dumb. The Beast is a _part of me_. He's not just a random animal, but _me._ Like machines being part of Cyborg, no offense. If I can control the other animals I change into, I can control it."

Robin still wasn't convinced. However, he saw something else; a mindless killing machine that lies in Beast Boy's mind. "You know what, forget it. Get out. You're off the team."

Everybody shouted, but Beast Boy just looked down like an animal who kicked by its master. When he looked back up, there was defiance in there. "But what about Raven or Cyborg or Starfire? They're just as dangerous as I am, maybe even stronger."

Robin sneered, his eyes narrowing," Yeah, but I can't risk it. For them, I see strength that they can use to control their inner selves. For you, I see a mindless killing machine/animal." Beast Boy didn't say anything, but he mentally cried out in pain. He had always considered Robin to be like a big brother, but to compare him to an animal who relies on its instinct hurted Beast Boy far more than any blade could. It meant that Robin saw him lower than society, that he was nothing more than any animal. The dams that held back the beliefs that he _wasn't _an animal broke. Even if Robin was being a jerk a little (okay, a lot), he still had beliefs and the fact that he believes he's an animal makes _him_ think that he _is _an animal. He also noticed something else, but didn't voice on it, not now.

"Fine," he said savagely. "Fine, you want me off, I'll get off. From this moment on, I officially quit from the Teen Titans. In the future, if we ever meet, I might not be loyal to the Teen Titans anymore. It'll depend on the situation though." He threw the yellow communicator, that showed he was a member, and tossed it right out the window, growling like a wolf. He was angered beyond words and hurt that his friends betrayed him.

Right when he was in front of the doors, he said quite calmly," You know, I've always considered you as friends, almost like family. But congratulations, you just proved to me that you don't care for someone who is a mindless killing machine. You just proved to me that you would throw me away the first chance you get. You just proved to me that you agreed with Robin. You just proved to me that you agreed I'm a mindless killing machine/animal and I deserved to be kicked off. By siding with Robin, you've showed me the truth. You've showed that you never cared by me. The first chance you get, you let me go away. I hope that you're satisfied with your decision and that you'll never regret it." With those words, he walked out. Those words had cut the Titans except Robin deeply. One, he had said with no emotions whatsoever, even better than Raven, which is saying something. That meant he didn't regret saying it; he had given up. And two, what made the blade cut deeper was the fact that it was the complete truth. They didn't even try to interfere in the argument, proving to Beast Boy that they didn't care about him, that they didn't care he was getting kicked off. When they didn't intervene, Beast Boy thought that they agreed with Robin about him being a mindless killing machine/animal. He had considered them his best friends, almost like family, but they backstabbed him and that blade, that knife had hurt far beyond that they could ever imagine. He was wrong though; they _did _regret it and they wished they could change it, but alas, what happened cannot be changed no matter how much they wanted to change it.

Robin went to his room, not even regretting kicking Beast Boy off the team. The way he saw it, Beast Boy was a menace that he needed to get rid of and by kicking him off, it would benefit the team. Cyborg just walked to his room like a zombie and charged up, wishing that his "brother" would come back. Starfire walked sadly to her room. The moment she entered, she burst into tears and hugged Silky, wondering how the boy she fell in love with became so different.

Raven was the one who took it worst. She finally admitted that she was in love with Beast Boy and fate took him away. She blamed herself for not standing up for the changeling. She didn't even try to stop Robin; she just stood there and watched Beast Boy's mind get cut up by Robin's words. She could literally feel the hurtfulness and sadness, but still stood there. She knew how deep the words hurt him; why didn't she try to help him? She knew that she would always regret that decision to not to anyway for as long as she lived. What worried her the most, however, was the fact that Beast Boy might even be an ally when they next meet, _if _they ever meet.

Beast Boy was currently a green bird, perched on a tree branch. He watched the Tower, the city. He was going to miss being a hero and protecting Jump City, but he didn't regret it. He didn't regret leaving the team. _"Serves them right. They didn't care about me. I thought they were my friends, friends I could trust, but I guess I was wrong. They were just waiting for the moment to strike me in the back. One day, I'll make them pay. I'll make them regret kicking me off. I'll show them. I'll show them all." _With those thoughts and the silent vow, he took off with tears is in eyes. This mess had happened all because his team didn't _trust _him.

**What did you think? I felt it was a bit rushed 'cause it took like a day and a half. Man, those words that Beast Boy said as he was leaving the team, it hurted **_**even **_**me. I know that this is taking a turn like the fanfic Teen Titans: Return of a Titan by RaintheLingeringSentiment, but I wanted to show you readers about why this fanfic's name is Trust is a Must. By taking this turn, this fanfic's title has more meaning and that's exactly what I want to do.**

**So, was it good? Was it bad? Hopefully you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW! LET ME HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! THE MORE REVIEWS I GET, THE MORE MOTIVATED I'LL BE UPDATE ASAP!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter. After this chapter, I might update this fast, so well, enjoy! And I'm sorry if this is bit shorter than my other chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.**

**~Seven years later~**

The sun shone, indicating that it was morning. Raven woke up, about 3 hours later than usual. After Beast Boy, the boy she loved left, she's been slacking off a little. She just couldn't live with the green guy the fact that she blamed herself for having to leave just worsened her condition. However, she still mediated, just one hour more. Ever since BB left, her emotions have been a little (okay, a lot) angry at Robin for kicking him off the team even though _she _could have also been a mindless killing machine. After all, when Rage gets out, it's pretty impossible to get her back in, but Robin didn't know that. All he knew about was Trigon. She berated herself to have Beast Boy leave her life like he did seven years ago. She didn't feel his aura, so she assumed he was dead, but she still didn't give up on searching for him along with Cyborg and Starfire. She tried to date other guys, but he was always on her mind and she just couldn't move on.

Raven grew two more inches, reaching a height of 5"3'. Her hair grew slightly long, a little past her shoulders. Her face didn't really change, but her eyes; they looked like they had a ton of wisdom stored within, but they also showed that Raven was immensely sad. Ever since BB left, her cloak turned black. Even though blue _is _her favorite color, the black color showed that she regretted having Beast Boy leaving the team. Cyborg was the only one who knew considering the fact that he visited her mind before, an experience that he doesn't was to re-experience, Starfire was sulking, and Boy Blunder, or Nightwing now, didn't really care.

Cyborg's red eye glowed, meaning that he was awake and charged to the maximum. Ever since Beast Boy was gone from his life, he hasn't been the same. He still ate meat, but also some tofu, despite how nasty that stuff is. It helped remind him of his "little brother," the brother he never knew and had. He still played video games, just not with much zest. He downright refused to play with Bird Blunder. He hasn't forgiven himself for letting him go and forgiven Nightwing for kicking him off.

Cyborg didn't change much, but his human parts had more build. His human eye looked older, more wiser. It's probably because ever since the green bean left, he's been more tired, less enthusiastic. He had added new parts to his machine parts, but still stayed at the same height, 5"8'. He now spends all his time working on the T-car even though it's perfect. He uses the T-car as a distraction just like how Beast Boy pulled pranks to help not to dwell on his past.

Starfire walked in her room. Today was the anniversary of her friend Beast Boy leaving the team for good. Ever since he left, she hasn't really found the will to fly. Remember, her emotions are tied to her abilities, and today, she was just plain depressed. She blamed herself for not protecting her friend and almost like a brother and Nightwing for saying those hurtful words to him. Despite that, though, she was currently dating him. She still was in love with him, but she couldn't see it, but Bird Brain was slowly not loving her anymore. Soon, he'll abandon her and she'll cry her heart out, but there's no one who can pull her out of her misery. She was naïve, but even she could see that the boy she fell in love with was changing into someone she hated, into someone who was a monster.

Robin, or now Nightwing, didn't once regret his decision. The way he saw it, it was best for everybody if he left. He didn't really say his name anymore; because in his point of view, what's the point of saying a dead superhero's name? He was currently happy with how his life. He was in a relationship with the girl he loved, but even he knew he was slowly losing his feelings for her. He knew he had lost the _trust _of his team, but because he was authorized to be the leader, he had full power and that meant his team couldn't do anything to rebel against him because that would mean they were rebelling against the law and could go to jail. They were completely powerless. Nightwing was starting to become the person Starfire saw in the futures; cold, cruel, and anti-social. He was also at exactly 6".

This morning, when Raven arrived in the common room, she saw Cyborg and Starfire in the room, sulking since it's the anniversary of Beast Boy leaving the team for good. Raven felt for Nightwing's aura and felt that he was in his office as usual these days. She made and poured some tea. Green tea to be precise, to help her remember the little green jokester who always pestered her. She may not admit it out loud, but in her heart, it just wasn't the same without somebody, or more specifically, Beast Boy. Her heart and her emotions ached for him, the person she was in love with.

"Good morning, Raven. Do you think we'll find him this time?" Cyborg asked, eating meat, tofu, and milk. He looked exhausted, almost as if he didn't get an ounce of sleep. Instead, it was almost like he was dreading this day. Ever that day, they've been looking for him, but with no success.

"It's not exactly a good morning. As for the second question, hopefully," Raven responded. She was still her old sarcastic her, but she hoped with all her heart that Beast Boy would finally appear.

"Oh, friend Raven and Cyborg. I truly hope we can find him and bring him home," Starfire shouted, but even she couldn't help but be disheartened at the idea of never finding him.

The alarm rang and the doors opened, revealing Nightwing. He checked the computers to see what's wrong. "Titans, there's a crime downtown. Titans, GO!" he shouted urgently. Raven felt two auras out of nowhere and had a feeling that these people were neither ally nor enemy. Was it good or bad? She couldn't decide.

By the time the Titans got there, the street and buildings were a complete havoc. They were completely destroyed. In the middle of all this destruction, there was a person, a male. He had black armor and a cape that was like Nightwing's old cape. His hair was pure dark, darker than dark. "Well, well, finally, here's some entertainment. Hello, Titans, glad to see you're well and here now," in a voice that was surprisely deep.

"What's your name?" Nightwing asked, his eyes narrowing. He brought out his bow staff and got into his position. Raven had her dark power ready, Cyborg had his sonic cannon ready, and Starfire's bots glowed with power.

The man chuckled," Tsk, tsk. Where are your manners? I'm not just going to give my name out randomly. You're going have to earn it." He laughed a cold, hard laugh that showed nothing but amusement. Nightwing rushed forward and tried to attack him with his staff, but the mysterious guy moved with such speed that he lost his footing. By the time he gained his bearings, the guy had already punched him so hard that he flew right through two buildings. Nightwing had earned some broken bones and a couple of bruises, but it was clear that he was out of the fight.

Starfire and Cyborg charged at one. The man had a little challenge this time for Starfire was fluent and Cyborg could calculate his moves. He managed to defeat them both by grabbing Cyborg's arm and throwing him straight into Starfire. "Are you guys really the Titans? You're weak; you're not even close to me level. I'm only using about 1/10th of my power," he taunted. Cyborg gritted his teeth; he would never let this man stain the name of the team. He would rather die than let that happen.

Just as Raven was about to have a go, there was smoke. As the smoke slowly cleared, there were two figure shadows. It later revealed that it was a man and a woman. The man had green armor and spiked hair that was black, though obviously dyed. He had a black cape with a hood and that partially covered his body. He wore a mask that hid his eyes and some of his skin, but the rest appeared a mix of tan and paleness. The woman was dressed similar. She had red armor and red hair that went down to her waist. She didn't wear a cape though, and just the man, she wore a mask, but left her eyes uncovered. After all, she wasn't in much danger of being recognized by the team.

"Well, well, we finally found you, Zephyr. How about a real battle?" The man asked.

The other man, whose name seemed to be Zephyr, sneered," Gladly, then we'll see who's the best, Shadow."

**Well, here's the end of the chapter. Man, updating two chapters two days in a row takes a lot of you. I'm sorry if this sounded rushed, but I have to do homework. And I'm also sorry about not having much battle details. Truthfully, I have never written a battle scene. My style of writing is more of going details through emotional aspects, not battle and stuff. So, sorry again for not having much battle details.**

**Well, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I SERIOUSLY WANT TO KNOW IF YOU LOVED THIS CHAPTER! 'CAUSE IF THIS SUCKS, WELL, THEN THE REST OF THE STORY WILL SUCK! PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE ON THIS FANFIC SO FAR!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Well, here it is. A new chapter of Trust is a Must. Hope you enjoy! Message at bottom! IMPORTANT!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, but I own the two/three OCs that appears.**

Zephyr sneered," Yes, we finally see who's better, Shadow." All the Titans gasped at the new arrivers and the dark name. Something told them that the name had a dark meaning and that dark meaning twisted that person. Who was he and his partner? Who was Zephyr? The names had raised more questions than it answered.

"Yes, we will see, Zephyr. You know as well as I do that we need a nice good spar and you're just the opponent to satisfy that urge," the other mysterious man who was apparently named Shadow answered in a mature voice. It was slightly deep, but had a lot of maturity. His unknown partner got into a stance, one that Nightwing has never seen nor heard despite the fact that he had martial training from Batman himself.

Zephyr grinned with amusement when the situation was very . . . precarious," Yes, I know very well. These Titans are too easy to defeat; so unlike the legends I heard them, an undefeated team. But then again, they _were _defeated in ways that didn't hurt them physically." The Titans were baffled by that statement. Obviously, it had a deeper meaning, but the question was how were they defeated differently? They were also angered at the other statement that said they were weak, but they accepted it for they haven't even landed a _single _punch; that and the battle lasted for, oh, about five minutes. It was clear that they weren't much of a challenge. "Also, I would think that there shouldn't be a disadvantage. After all, two against one? Doesn't seem fair. Let me call up some back-up." With those words, he turned, right before their eyes, into a demon wolf, which strangely had wings, but then again, some demons _do _have wings. He howled, long and hard. Then, he morphed back into his human form and shouted," Come forth, Rin-yasha!" Shadow and the mysterious girl/woman gasped and behind their masks, their eyes widened. They couldn't believe it. Of all the partners he could have, it just had to be _her._ Fate is really cruel to them.

Another figure came forth. It was another demon wolf. It had a midnight coating with red stripes, almost as dark as blood. Its ears were long and pointy, constantly moving. Its muzzle was long and the mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its legs had a powerful build and the tail was curly. It growled, almost as if it felt threatened. It then morphed into a woman. She had black hair, but in the light, it looked like it had blue lines. It was shoulder-length and her eyes were coal black. They looked unyielding and showed that the girl had been through much. You didn't need to be a mind-reader to now that she was bitter, but you would have to be a mind-reader to know _why _she's bitter. She was dressed similar as Zephyr. Her smile; it was disturbing. It showed that she was _eager _to taste blood. "Nakama." She said the name slowly, as if she was savoring it. "At least, that's what they call you these days. Oh, the irony. I'm going to enjoy this. My inner demons beg for blood and I'll think that they'll enjoy yours." She laughed a cruel, cruel laugh. The idea of drinking her blood sounded good to her. **(A/N No, she is not a vampire. There ARE creatures who like blood other than vampires.) **She also got into a stance, crouching like a wolf and yet, opened and bend her arms in the way when dragons are ready to fight and their wings are open. She growled, demanding a challenge from the other girl, whose name was apparently Nakama. Nakama looked at Shadow. Between those two, she was wise, but Shadow's instincts are very helpful in a fight. His instincts haven't been wrong so far and she's learned to trust his judgment. He nodded, indicating his consent, but she could see that he was trying to warn her that the other girl, Rin-yasha, would be unpredictable. They worked together for so long and so well that they can tell what the other is saying with just a glance. Even a look can speak volumes.

Shadow turned his attention back to Zephyr, going into his 3rd stance. His body was sideways, facing the right. The legs were shoulders apart length, both bent a little, and the right foot was slightly higher than the left foot. His right arm was on top of his left arm, no skin contact, though. Both hands were opened; their fingers curled a little. In other words, it looked kinda of like a claw. His face was slightly tilted toward Zephyr, but other than that, it looked like Shadow was barely looking at him. As for Zephyr, his stance was pretty simple. Think of a werewolf stance. It would be something like that.

They both attacked at the same time. They were matching blow for blow. It was pretty tense; not because of the fight, no, it was something far more deeper. Zephyr kept trying to kick him, but Shadow would just spin out of the way. Shadow frowned; he had no time for this! He raised his power a little higher, but enough for Zephyr to notice. He growled, frustrated at the fact that even though he could raise his own power higher, Shadow can still beat him.

Shadow grimaced. Zephyr's speed has grown considerably since last time. No wonder why the Titans were beaten easily. Before, they could have _actually _had a chance of beating him. Unfourntaely, for Zephyr, his speed and power grew a lot more than last time. He landed a few punches on him and Zephyr went flying! He crashed into a few buildings. Shadow phased to wear he was. There was blood everywhere and it looked like a few bones were broken. However, Zephyr's heritage allowed him to heal quickly. Pretty soon, he was up on his feet and more determined than ever.

Shadow knew what was coming. After all, his opponent rarely breaks his habits and that includes fighting. _"I swear, one day, that boy has to learn how to be unpredictable," _he thought. He was exasperated at the fact that the boy _still _hasn't learned. He shouted, "Watashi wa sutaffu o shōkan!" A staff appeared in his hands. It was metal, yet it glowed with a strange power. Zephyr did the same thing, only with a sword. They exchanged a few blows, but none landed. A sword was used for close combat while a staff was used for long distance combat. They canceled each other out, like yin and yang. Eventually, Shadow managed to land a few hard blows on Zephyr's body by making him lose his balance by using his staff. See, while Shadow was spinning to avoid an attack, he aimed his staff at his opponent's feet, making him lose his balance.

"You do know that my sword is superior, right?" Zephyr laid there, his body racked with pain. The metal used to make the staff was ancient and powerful. His sword had gone from his grip; he was defenseless.

"No, it's your sword that's powerless against me." Shadow went to the sword and crushed it like it was nothing. There was a horrible wail, a wail of pain, utter pain. The material used was the same in his staff, yet he crushed it with no effort.

"What? I should have that power too! How come _you _have it?" Zephyr shouted with anger. His body was now racked with pain and anger. He had learned to use that sword; it was like an extension of his body. However, Shadow had seen it as a weapon of destruction. A weapon that caused many people misery. A weapon that cost people their very lives.

He calmly explained," I'm the older one. Technically, I'm the head now. Therefore, I have the power. Tsk, tsk. A simple miscalculation like, _Zephyr_, can cost you your very life, just like right now." He had said his name with such hatred, for he had brought him much pain. He knew that he would never have the heart to kill him, but at least he can be brought to justice. Just as he was about to punch him, some portal opened and sucked him in along with Rin-yasha.

**~While Zephyr and Shadow is fighting, so is Nakama and Rin-yasha~**

For some strange reason, probably the same reasons for the other pair, Nakama and Rin-yasha didn't use any magic. Instead, they did hand-to-hand combat. It was almost as if they were _toying _with each other. Probably to measure the other's strength. Probably to gain time. The Titans could see clearly they were toying with them, but they didn't know why.

"You know that you can never beat me," Rin-yasha growled as she deflected a few well-placed blows. However, she knew that she wasn't anywhere near Nakama's strength. But she can still try to cloud her moves with anger.

"Maybe, maybe not." Nakama knew Rin-yasha well enough to know what she was trying to do. After all, just because she was unpredictable, doesn't mean _she _can't predict her moves or her thoughts. By twirling her body skillfully, she managed to land a few good hard punches on her opponent. Like her partner, she went sprawling into the buildings. She groaned in pain and anger. This fighting was getting nowhere. At least Zephyr and their other partner had the ingredients. Huh, they _still _couldn't see what was in front of it, but no matter. She transformed into her wolf form and attacked with tremendous speed. She clawed Nakama's skin and blood came pouring out. The wounds weren't deep, but they were still deep for the wounds to draw blood. Nakama fell to her knees, feeling weak. Rin-yasha tasted her blood and felt her instincts increase, begging her to kill her prey and drink her blood.

Just as she was about to bite her neck to kill her, Nakama summoned her sword in that split second. While Rin-yasha was almost upon her, with all her strength, Nakama turned around and crouched and thrust her sword backward. From the feeling of warm blood, she concluded that her aim was on target. She allowed herself a tiny smile, but wiped it off. It felt wrong. From where she used to live, it was wrong to hurt someone without reason, but she knew that this was an exception. Her people would agree with her; they would say that Rin-yasha deserved to be put to death.

She turned her head towards Shadow, who had just destroyed Zephyr's sword and was about to punch him, killing him. Then, out of nowhere, a portal appeared and sucked Zephyr and Rin-yasha in. She was disappointed, but knew that they were going to see them soon. First, however, she needed to heal as does Shadow. It didn't show on his face, but he was mentally tired at holding _it _back. Still, she couldn't help but think that something was amiss.

Nightwing, with his girlfriend's help, came toward the strangers. He barked," Who are you? Why are you here? As my authority as the leader and defender of Jump City, I hereby place you under arrest and you'll tell me everything." His blood pooled under his feet, but he didn't mind. The strangers, especially Shadow, captured his interest.

Shadow chuckled," You're just lucky we're going to show mercy at you. Otherwise, I would have utterly hurt you; so much, that you won't be able to recover for at least a month, even with Raven's help." He nodded to Nakama and together phased somewhere else, leaving Nightwing utterly frustrated. He wasn't the type to lay back. No, he was the type that wanted answers the moment he demands it. Sometimes, you can't help but wonder; is he really that blind? Silently, the other Titans gave thanks to the stranger. Raven, however, couldn't shake off the feeling that she knew him. But what that guy named Zephyr said disturbed her deeply. What did he mean they were hurt another way, but the only way she could think of was Beast Boy's departure, but that couldn't be it. The Titans quietly left the crime scene and hoped that they would be able to fight this new threat, but they were tossed aside like dolls.

**~on top of hill~**

Shadow and Nakama were currently standing on a hill that overlooked Jump City, and most importantly, Titans tower. Nearby was a cave for shelter. Nakama currently had bandages, but underneath, the wounds were healing quickly. In about an hour, they would be completely healed, but with some scars. Shadow was worried. He knew that they were toying each other from the start, but why didn't Zephyr use magic? He knew that how dark he was, so why didn't he end it? Something told him that he was up to no good again and this time, he was part of the plan. Somewhere in his mind nagged him that Zephyr was going to try it again.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, Nakama spoke, quite quietly, almost as if she was meditating once more," You know, Shadow, I have been wondering for a while. Why did you help them? I thought you hated them." Despite knowing him for years, he still remained closed up. Ever since the rejection seven years ago, he changed dramatically. He closed up, rarely showed his feelings, and there was always the feel of darkness around him.

Shadow chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "My dear Nakama, hate is a strong word, but that would be the word to describe how I feel about Nightwing. As for the team, the word I would have to with is dislike. Not hate, for now." He snorted. "Nightwing will never change. He just changed his name and uniform to make himself more intimating. But he can't change the fact that he's complete vulnerable, having no superpowers. As for why I helped save them, those are my personal reasons."

Nakama was silent for a while. In her mind, she was scared that the Titans, especially Raven, would find out their secret identities. For Shadow, she would probably feel joy, anger, regret, and love. For her, well, she'll have to see in the future. She knew Raven wouldn't take too kindly to her true identity. She was scared for the whole world. She sensed that they worked someone/s, but she didn't know who. She could take a good guess though. Still she couldn't help, but ask," But Shadow, what if they found out? What if they knew?"

Shadow pondered that question. The situation was precarious and needed to be treated with caution. He knew that it would be dangerous for the team to find out. He responded and said each word slowly, as if unsure if it was the true solution," I'm not sure, but I think we'll just have to go with it. Besides, we can't change what happened. If they found out, well, the consequences will be, beyond a doubt, severe. The thing I fear the most, however, is if _Raven _will find out.

Nakama nodded in response. Zephyr and Rin-yasha. The two people who probably hated the most. What they were up to, she was almost afraid to think what they're up to. She also didn't have the heart to kill them. She's still a peacemaker at heart, but she was willing to put them in jail. Another thing bothered her too. Nakama could sense bitterness rising from him. She knew he was bitter about what happened in the past, but this was a different kind of bitter. Using her powers, subtly so that Shadow couldn't feel it, she could tell this kind of bitterness has been with him for a long time, probably since his childhood. She couldn't be sure.

Shadow watched the Titans tower with a look of longing. His old home was just there, within his reach, but Nightwing had made it clear that he didn't want anything to do with him. The rest of the team just stood there and watched him get verbally hurt. And Raven. Just the sound of her name made his heart race, his palms sweating, and his instincts calm. It had hurt him beyond words when she was stood there and after they shared their first kiss! Also, there was the fact that she was an empath! She knew how he was feeling and didn't even try to help! That had broken his soul and spirit. He wanted to be mad at her; he truly did. But he didn't have the heart to stay mad at her.

Slowly, but surely, he took off something off his hand. His hair turned into spike green hair, his skin turned green, and his ears grew pointed. He removed his mask that reveals green eyes. He looked at the Tower, wondering if the team, including and above all, Raven, missed him. In his mind, the Beast purred at the thought of the one he loved. In his heart, he couldn't decide if he regretted saying those hurtful words at the Titans. In his mouth, you saw a frown. In his face, you could see seriousness, but deep within, if you looked really closely, it had the feel of sadness. In his eyes, you could see longing. He put the thing back on and reverted back to Shadow. He knew that the challenge ahead would be the most challenging threat he ever had to face and wondered, for the first time, if he was mentally and physically strong enough.

**There's the end of the chapter! Whooo, what hard work! Sorry if there wasn't much battle details. I'm not the type that writes good battles. As for the Japanese phrase earlier in the story, it meant "I summon the staff." My friend translated it for me and she/he's pretty fluent.**

**Now, I'm in the mood to give out some prizes.**

**1. Nakama is actually one of the original characters in Teen Titans. She just has a different name and a disguise. What character is it? If you answer correctly, the next fanfic I write will be dedicated to you. And the other prize is what YOU want from me. I don't know how to do cookies though. Sorry, I can't DO that kind of technology.**

**2. I'll reveal that Zephyr and Rin-yasha are working for 2 masters. Who are they? If you answer correctly, you get to ask me as least 2 or 3 questions of your choosing. However, I won't answer any questions that are broad like "What are you planning to write next?" Nope, but I'll accept something like this, "Who is Zephyr?" Something like that.**

**Remember to put your guesses in the reviews and I'll keep my promise! Oh, and I'll PM you if you get it right, even if you're an anonymous reviewer, I'll just put on my profile, if you're right. So remember review and put your guesses in your reviews before I update this fanfic again!**


	7. author's note AGAIN

**I'm sorry to disappoint those who thought this was a new chapter, but I guarantee that there MIGHT be a new chapter soon, I dunno.**

**The reason for this author note is because I believe that the first question last chapter needed clarification. Who is Nakama? That was the question. I think the hint made you believe that she WAS a part of the team, but no. Here are the hints, but more detailed.**

**1. She was an original character in Teen Titans.**

**2. She was NEVER part of the team, but had a connection to one of the Titans.**

**3. I was thinking from the cartoon, but she's also in the comics, although I prefer the cartoon.**

**I think that's all. If I give out any more hints, heh, you'll figure it out easy. Remember, who's ever first gets to have the next fanfic I write dedicated to them. And YOU can have something from ME, but not a cookie. Can't do those yet.**

**And remember, the second was who were the two masters Zephyr and Rin-yasha are serving. If you get one right, you may ask me over 1-2 questions. If you get both right, you may ask me 2-3 questions. However, I will not answer questions like "What are you writing next?" Not those. BUT I accept "Who is Zephyr?" and whatnot.**

**PUT THE ANSWERS IN THE REVIEWS AND I'LL PM YOU IF YOU'RE RIGHT! IF YOU'RE AN ANYNOMOUS REVIEWER, I'LL PUT IT ON MY PROFILE! **


	8. Chapter 6

**FINALLY! I'M DONE WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THIS FANFIC! It took me about 2 weeks now that I think about it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, except for Zephyr and Rin-yasha.**

"Did you get it?" a humongous voice rumbled. It sounded like an earthquake. It was one of the masters that Zephyr and Rin-yasha served.

They bowed formally. Zephyr replied, his eyes glinting, "Yes, master. We have the dragon horns for the spell. Those idiots, Shadow and Nakama, just thought we were destroying for fun. They didn't suspect a thing." He smirked, soaking in the victory of his half-kind not even knowing what's happening.

The evil voice laughed so hard that the cave walls almost broke," Excellent, Zephyr and Rin-yasha. No doubt those fools think they've won. Just wait until the ultimate revenge and plan will happen. Now you two, go back to your quarters."

"Yes, master." They each turned to their quarters. They had to share one room. It was a simple room, sort of. It was huge, yet simple. There were two beds and one desk. Most of the walls were covered with practically every kind of weapons. There were shurikens, knives, swords, staffs, claws, and more. Anything you thought of was there. There were also robots that were currently deactivated and targets. They were used for training. Rin-yasha pretty much reached her potential for speed. As for power, she might never reach that part of her. Zephyr still had a long way to go. They knew they would have to be at their best for the next time they fight Shadow and Nakama.

Meanwhile, Shadow and Nakama were meditating. Nakama easily slipped into the trance, but Shadow couldn't. His emotions were way too powerful. He felt love for Raven, happy because the team were fine (except for Nightwing), and hatred for the team, as well as many more. The mix of emotions was confusing him, and to top it off, Zephyr and Rin-yasha returned and it can't be good. But then again, when _was _it ever a good thing when they appear?

The Beast started talking to him; he had learned to use "human" words. "_Perhaps you should tell Raven to help get that burden off of you. As for Zephyr and Rin-yasha's plan, we will have to wait and see. There is nothing we can really do right now. Our best chance is to try to capture them when we meet next time." _Shadow laughed mentally. It may have been in his head, but it sounded carefree, as if he didn't have the fate of the world on his shoulders. He laughed because the Beast was acting like Raven. He just spoke like he saw it, but at the same time, he gave great advice. _"Mmmmm, just like Raven," _Shadow sighed. He missed everything about Raven; her personality, her smell, which was lavender, her emotions, her face, and most of all, her eyes. Whenever he looked into her eyes, he felt like he was peering into the depths of her soul. Shadow mentally agreed with the Beast; their best chance was to wait and see and try to capture them next time.

Shadow shuddered. It felt like torture to him. To be near Raven, yet so far. He heard that saying many times, but never thought that it would happen to him. He opened his eyes and gazed at the Tower with longing. He had missed the team except for Nightwing (his anger flared at the thought of him). They were like his family and to just throw him away; that hurted him beyond words. But he had other problems, whose names were Zephyr and Rin-yasha. Ever since they betrayed the Order of the Phoenix, those two have been wreaking havoc. Still, he couldn't shake off the suspicion that they were up with something more and his animals instincts were never wrong.

Meanwhile, Nakama was trying to calm herself and meditate. To Shadow, she seemed calm, unaffected by the events that recently conspired. When, in reality, her mind was a storm, and in the eye of the storm was herself. The storm was confusing her. Truthfully, the cause of this storm was Rin-yasha and Raven. She hated Rin-yasha with every fiber of her being. Rin-yasha did many evil things, true to her name. And the fact that . . . No, she had to ignore that fact, but she knew deep in her heart that she'll never forget it and that when the time comes, she could never kill her. As for the other matter with Raven, if she knew her true identity, well, she didn't how she would react. Glancing at Shadow, she couldn't help but be angry at Raven. She knew that he loved her and even _kissed, _but she left him to dry after that beating of the leader's words. Nakama just couldn't understand it. Why would Raven hurt the person she loved? However, looking back at her memories, she realized something that helped control her anger; Raven had a look of regret in her eyes. It was subtle, but there. Nakama then realized that all the other Titans, except for that heartless bastard, had a look of deep regret, but Raven's stood out more. _"Maybe, "_she mused, "_Shadow and the Titans _do _have a chance to mend the past. The only question is: Is he willing to _try _to mend it?" _She glanced at Shadow. Ever since he got kicked off and abandoned by his friends, he closed up and refused to feel or trust anyone. When he joined the Order of the Dragon, he was forced to show his memories and Nakama was to be his partner. Even when she showed him her true identity, he still closed up. Then, Nakama saved his life, and bit by bit, he opened up. Eventually they became good friends, but even now, Nakama didn't know all his secrets or reasonings, but she had learned to trust him with her life. After realizing that Shadow can choose the best way to resolve this situation, her mind slowly relaxed and Nakama could finally meditate in peace.

After about one hour of meditating, Shadow and Nakama sparred against each other. They were carefully to just plain spar, with no special powers involved whatsoever.

Back at the Tower, everything was going pretty badly. The team was still trying to recover from their loss, but they knew it would leave a deep scar in their hearts. And then to be beaten by a guy named Zephyr with no trouble and had to be rescued by two people named Shadow and Nakama. Of those two, Shadow concerned Nightwing the most. He seemed to know those two other people, Zephyr and Rin-yasha, very well, and on top of that, he treated the Titans like they were old friends at a reunion. _"But that would mean he's. . . No, it can't be. Besides, Shadow is way too serious," _Nightwing thought. Still, he couldn't get rid of the suspicion that Shadow _could _be their long-lost teammate. He even refused to think his name. If there was one thing Batman taught him, it was to look at the situation from all possible aspects. Nightwing thumped that table hard with his fist. He didn't even know what the situation is, so how can he look at all the possible aspects? Besides, he had other things to worry about.

First off, it was his relationships with the other Titans. Raven thought of him as a disgusting, low-life monster that would just throw away a friendship without a second thought. In fact, she was so disgusted by his actions, she couldn't stand being near him. There was another reason why she couldn't be near him. He had taken away her best friend, one of the few people who understood her and trusted her. Soon after Beast Boy left, she swore to him that she'll never forgive him and even if by a miracle, Beast Boy forgives him, she will never forget and forgive. She still listened to his orders, but only because it was for the safety of other people. Otherwise, she would have rebelled.

And then there was Cyborg. Nightwing noticed that after his "little" brother left, he became more mature, more older. He tried to be the peacemaker. Like Raven, Cyborg would rather avoid him. However, he still played video games with Nightwing, but only to beat him and get his "revenge." In fact, he fought with a fire he never had before when he played with the leader in the past. Those were the only times Cyborg even _wished _to interact with him. Other times, he just stayed in his room, doing who knows what.

And, then, lastly, his girlfriend, Starfire. Even before Nightwing asked her out, she still holded a small amount of grudge towards him. Nevertheless, she agreed to date him. At first, Nightwing was really happy and even stopped working (which is having a staff in his ass). But, near the middle, he knew that he just really didn't care for her anymore. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was just _using _her. How? Nightwing didn't know. All he knew was the Titans would expect him to break up with Starfire. And, unfortunately for him, the consequences would be severe.

Nightwing got up and went to the training room .There he practiced many styles of technique that Batman had taught him. Then he brought out his staff and started slamming it everywhere on the dummies. While he was practicing, he was thinking about the other problem. The other problem was how the team was working. Ever since _he _left us, the team just . . . fell apart. Raven stays isolated. Cyborg works on his car 24/7. Starfire can barely use her powers. On the battlefield and in training, the team worked well. But when they're in their social lives, the team just can't communicate. Nightwing punched a bag so hard that it collapsed from the ceiling. It was hard for him. It was hard for him to keep going, knowing that the team could separate at any given moment. The events; well, they were really taking a toll on him.

Unknown to him, it didn't affect just him. Raven was busy drinking green tea on the rooftop. She had taken this habit ever since she really didn't even want to be _around _Nightwing. She thought about the battle that recently happened. Raven had felt utterly useless, watching your friends, except for Nightwing, getting thrown around with ease. The helplessness that consumed her during those moments; it felt almost, _almost_ like when she blamed herself for letting the changeling go. Then, Shadow and his partner appear out of nowhere. Somehow, she felt herself drawn to him.

_"Maybe he has answers. After all, this just can't be mere coincidence," _Knowledge broke her train of thought. _"To have Beast Boy go missing for years, then two random guys come out of nowhere."_

_ "Also, Raven, I noticed that Shadow guy acted like he _knew _us, inside and out," _Wisdom put her two cents in. Knowledge and Wisdom were trying to help Raven make sense out of the battle. For now, her mind was practically in chaos and her emotions were having mood swings. For example, Timid is shy one moment, then angry, then happy, and so forth.

Raven replied back, her voice sharp, _"Not now. For now, I want to rely on _my _thoughts, not my emotions." _She could feel their presences fading away and sighed in relief. There was stress, though, underlaced in that sigh. She snorted, _"I have way too much drama in my life; now _this _has to happen? Fate really is cruel to me." _She was tired of having so much drama in her life. First it was Trigon, then it was Malchior, then it was the end of the world, then the Brotherhood of Evil, then Beast Boy leaving, and finally, four strangers appear out of nowhere.

She decided to meditate to help organize her thoughts. In all honesty, she was scared, frightened, terrified, and all that. It couldn't be mere coincidence; that much was known. She was afraid of Zephyr and Rin-yasha. Raven had sensed an evil aura around them, almost as evil as Malchior or worse. She shuddered at that thought and turned to the other problem, Shadow and Nakama. They intrigued her to tell the truth. In fact, when they first appeared, she knew it was not by accident. Now that she thought about it, there was a warm aura around Nakama, but as for Shadow, it was hard to tell if he was on the side of good or evil. That aura; it was like nothing she has ever felt before.

She could tell that he _used _to be on the side of good, but with the mixture, it was seriously hard to tell if he was on their side or maybe, just maybe, on his own side. That meant he did everything, but could feel no guilt for he had done that of his own free will. Raven once again shuddered at that, for he could be a ruthless killing machine without any guilt on his conscious. That aura scared and intrigued her. It showed that he was may have been on his own side and yet, wished to be somewhere else, to _be _with a certain person. She could definitely tell that longing, for it rang loud and clear, showing that Shadow person wanted to be somewhere else, to be right alongside with someone else. Raven could tell that he was also bitter. Her body relaxed, though, at the memory of his aura when he first appeared. It had felt so familiar, yet so alien. It felt like she _had _felt it many times before, but the aura had changed, but never lost its original feel.

As for Nakama, she felt warmth from her aura, telling her that she was kind, but can be ruthless if needed. In fact, during the battle, her aura became cold, uncaring, and sharp as a blade hunger for blood. Raven was exactly terrified, but the power and the strength of that aura almost made her puke. However, despite that fact, something was off. To her, it seemed like Shadow himself was a bit surprised at her willingness to taste blood. That may have seemed small, but that was a big factor for Raven to figure out her personality. That one show of emotion from Shadow showed that Nakama wasn't normally that fierce or willing to kill her opponent. There was no doubt; those two were definitely hard to figure out. Still, Raven couldn't fight that feeling that those two had gone through rough pasts and emerged changed, far more different than they used to be.

During the battle, Raven carefully analyzed all four of them. It seemed to her that Zephyr and Rin-yasha had the same evil in their hearts and would stop at nothing to gain tons of power. Judging by their fighting style, they would be half-breeds, definitely. Zephyr's stance confused her, but as for Rin-yasha, it was clear she used to live with demon wolves and/or dragons judging from the position of her arms. As for Shadow and Nakama, their stances were very peculiar, but she could recognize them for those stances were close to the ones she learned on Azarath. She was taught different stances that could be used for different levels of power. For example, against Dr. Light, if Raven was to fight him with hand-to-hand combat, she would assume the 1st stance because Dr. Light doesn't seem like he's used to fighting short distances.

Raven decided to put these thoughts aside for now and to _really _start meditating. But after the events, she just couldn't concentrate no matter how hard she tried. So, she went to the one place where she could physically exhaust herself. She phased into the training room where she practiced her punches and kicks. While practicing her coordinates on the punching bag, her mind formed a flashback.

_Flashback:_

_ "Beast Boy, Raven needs help in fighting with her body. Your job is to help her improve her skills when you guys get the chance," Robin gave orders to the both of them. Earlier that day, Raven had momentarily lost control of her powers and almost got hurt severely by Mumbo Jumbo. Fortunately, Beast Boy arrived as a lion and swatted away the attack, protecting Raven. However, he got injured and bled profusely, but that's a story for another time._

_ After that incident, Robin didn't want to take any more chances with Raven's powers. (This is when he _isn't _being a jackass.) Beast Boy and Raven nodded, their heart beating super fast. It was obvious to the team that those two were heads over heels for each other; they were just too shy to admit it to each other._

_ Every day for that month, Beast Boy helped instructed Raven in honing her martial arts skill. It wasn't hard for her to get the basics since she was taught them on Azarath. She was, however, surprised to learn that Beast Boy was good with hand-to-hand combat. When she asked him, he just laughed and spoke, while trying to control his breath," Well, Rae, where I used to live, the rules of my tribe was to learn how to fight like a man. There, I practiced every day until I collapsed. Then, when I gain my animal powers, I became, well, more closer to my fighting skills." He looked a little modest at least. "So I decided to make a new type of fighting style, but. . ." He shook his head, smiling," I'm getting off track. Come on, we still need to adjust your position a little more."_

_ The hours came and went and Raven, with each passing day, slowly got better at fighting. Finally, there came a day when Raven was to spar with Beast Boy. "After all, the only way to get better at something is to experience it," he joked, but Raven saw in his eyes that there was sadness that he was feeling, but what it was, she didn't know._

_ They stood apart for a few feet and bowed respectfully. Raven went into her stand, something she made up. Her legs were wide open, but the right foot was slightly higher than the left one. Her left arm was at a 90 degree angle by her side and her right arm was crossed over his chest, a half of a X. Beast Boy got into a crouch like an animal ready to pounce. His arms were in an X though. _

_ Raven immediately attacked, launching her left arm forward. Beast Boy twisted to the side and grabbed hold of her arms and flung her toward the walls. She was able to gain her bearings and jumped off the walls, going at a high speed. Beast Boy merely jumped over and Raven bounced from the wall to the floor, going into her position._

_ This time Beast Boy launched the attack. Raven tried her best to keep up and managed to block the majority of them. However, she failed to notice where Beast Boy's feet were. With a swish of his feet, he (literally) swept her off her feet. She landed on her back, riddled with pain, but nothing that her powers couldn't heal quickly._

_ Before she had time to recover, Beast Boy sat on her stomach and pinned her arms and hands. Raven tried to break free, but it was in vain. Both teenagers were panting lightly. "Well, it looks I win," Beast Boy spoke after gaining his breath. Then, he looked down, realizing the position and blushed, making his skin, look brown. Raven raised an eyebrow, but came to the same realization. _Beast Boy was straddling her!

_Beast Boy stood up very quickly, as if the very thought had scarred, which it probably did, and offered a hand to her. Raven gratefully accepted it. Beast Boy smiled gently at her," You were better than I expected to be truthful." He put on a thoughtful look, humming a little. Raven was fidgeting a little, worrying about what she did wrong. Finally, after a moment or two, Beast Boy spoke, speaking the truth," Well, you were really good at tactics, managing to use the walls to your advantage. Your fists need to be more fast though, and you have to pay attention to every part of your opponent's body, where their fists are, where their feet are, their position. Trust me; every detail will help you win." Raven smiled slightly at his praise and they both got ready to spar again."_

_End of flashback_

While Raven was trying to improve the speed of her punches, his words came ringing back, "_Trust me." _She saw that in his eyes, he was being sincere in his words and truly wanted to help her to the best of his abilities. That's why she didn't hesitate to do what he asked her. Her amethyst eyes were filled with sadness and misery. As she gave the bag one final punch, she turned and looked back at the place where she and Beast Boy sparred, wondering if he'll ever come back.

Cyborg was, to say in the least, in a limbo. The recent events/battles had shook him to the core. The only other time he was truly scared was when he and the team had to face Trigon and the Brotherhood of Evil. Other than that, he was only slightly scared. Currently, his machine part of his brain was trying to make sense of what just happened.

He took a deep breath and continued to type some stuff on his computer, probably checking on the security stats. His fingers typed on the keyboard automatically, considering the fact that he's done this millions of times, literally. The Tower is just a signal saying "THE TITANS LIVE HERE! ATTACK ME PLEASE!" So, as a result and as a precaution, Robin and him set up defense systems and such. Only Cyborg pretty much knew every detail because he made it from scratch and only he can make sense of it.

Since it was out of instinct to just type on the keyboard, he could let his mind wander freely to the one topic that has gotten everybody thinking: those four mysterious people and the battle between them. Of course, all four of them had Cyborg's curiosity going. However, it was Shadow that intrigued and frightened him the most. He had no doubt whatsoever that he was stronger than the other three. There was that aura around him. Cyborg couldn't describe it, even if you tried to force him to. All he knew from that aura was that Shadow had gone through much and that he wasn't technically on the evil side.

_"So that means he's on the good side, right?" _Cyborg asked himself. But even he didn't believe his own thoughts. Shadow just seemed the type to be on his own side, to think for himself. As for the other three, well, they scared him especially the Zephyr had managed to take them down without batting an eyelash. Rin-yasha and Nakama had fought with blood on their mind. Their furious attacks; they shook him to his core.

What unnerved him the most, however, was how Shadow had talked to the Titans. He had spoken to them like they were long lost friends. The way he talked; it made it seem like he had known the Titans for who knows how long. Cyborg sighed heavily. He missed his little "brother" terribly. He felt like he lost one of himself. That green bean was always there to cheer him up no matter what the cost was. He deeply regretted at just standing at the sidelines and let him walk away. He swore to himself to find out where he was and have him come back home even though Nightwing will try to make his life miserable. Scratch that; Cyborg would do whatever it takes to have his little "brother" back, no matter what the cost is.

There was another thing that bothered him. It was when how Zephyr commented on how the Titans were defeated physically. Cyborg was baffled by that statement. He didn't really get that. The only thing he could think of was when the green guy left, probably for good. That was the turning event in the tower. Ever since then, the team has been falling apart. Nightwing either didn't care, didn't notice, or both.

While the other Titans were thinking about the same events, so was Starfire. She was lying on her bed, crying her eyes out. She was naïve, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get what's happening. Firstly, she was horribly sad about what the day was. It was the anniversary of Beast Boy's departure. She blamed herself for just letting her boyfriend to cut Beast Boy apart with his words. Sometimes, she didn't know why she was still with Nightwing. Probably because she has no one else to turn to.

She shuddered at the memory of Shadow, Nakama, Zephyr, and Rin-yasha going at it. Her kind was very close with emotions and can tell what people are feeling just by looking at them. They, in a way, are empathic themselves. For Shadow, his emotions were very mixed, so mixed that she could barely make sense of them. The only thing she could sense of was that he went through a lot of pain. For Nakama, she could sense that she was normally cheerful, but can be fierce when needed be. As for Zephyr and Rin-yasha, she shuddered. Those two scared her the most for their bloodlust was immense. It was like they yearned for blood and they didn't care who they killed in the end.

Starfire's tears weren't even close to stopping. Her heart and mind was deeply wounded. The memory of that day had scarred her. Even if by a miracle, Beast Boy _did _come back and forgive them, the scar would still be there, never forgotten and never healed.

Back at the cave, the voice called again," It is time to put our next phase of the plan to begin. I'll have someone to steal while you are busying fighting with them." Zephyr and Rin-yasha immediately stopped their training and bowed, "Yes master." They then exchanged evil grins at the chance to cause more chaos.

Meanwhile, Shadow and Nakama were relaxing, but had their senses open. It was a kind of meditation. To appear to be relaxed, but in reality, ready for any action. It took them a while, but they eventually mastered it. Then suddenly, something in Shadow's cape started ringing. Shadow reached inside and got it. It turned out to be a blue disk with a hole in it. A hologram appeared.

Shadow asked, quite bored," So what's the trouble this time, Ragnor?" Since Ragnor was no longer able to fight for the Order of the Dragon, he was assigned to keep the team updated on missions and such.

Ragnor frowned in the hologram," Very bad I'm afraid. Zephyr and Rin-yasha," at the sound of those names, Shadow and Nakama sat up straight, worry and hatred in their eyes," are once again wreaking havoc in the magical bazaar. For what reason I don't know, but you better hurry. It looks like there isn't much left." The hologram disappeared. Shadow and Nakama nodded to each other and phased to the bazaar.

To say the least, it looked like Hell. It was a complete mess. There wasn't a single store that wasn't destroyed. It wasn't hard to find Zephyr and Rin-yasha. They made up too much noise. Rin-yasha looked up at sensing them," Ah, finally, the guests of honors are here. Good, I'm starting to get bored and so is Zephyr." At his name, Zephyr bared his fangs. Shadow did likewise, in other words, he was accepting Zephyr's challenge.

He shouted," Zephyr! This time we take to the skies!" He took to the skies and remained floated there, waiting for his opponent. He didn't have to wait long; Zephyr was eager to defeat Shadow once and for all. They went into their earlier stances and Zephyr was the first one to attack. Shadow merely dodged and relented back. That was how the battle mainly went. They would dodge each other's attacked and retorted back. Finally, Zephyr managed to land the first hit on Shadow. Since his fingernails were like claws, when he scratched Shadow's face, part of his mask fell to pieces and there were four long diagonal marks over his right eye. It started bleeding, forcing Shadow to close his eye. Now he lost the advantage of one of his eyes.

Zephyr taunted him," It looks that the great Shadow has finally fell! How can he fight with only one eye?" While he was laughing, he felt a boost of power and felt a punch to his guts, then to his chin, and finally, a kick to his arm, breaking the bones. He had lost the use of his left arm. Shadow looked at him with the one eye that still wasn't hurt and was behind the mask," Never taunt me. That was your punishment." Now that Zephyr was close enough to see Shadow's eye injury, he smirked. Shadow could still heal it, but it'll leave a scar, a scar that he delighted in afflicting upon.

Shadow smirked, seeing that his opponent was too overconfident. Using a part of his power, he aimed some magic at Zephyr, but he managed to deflect it. In the smoke, however, Shadow kicked and punched Zephyr while he couldn't see. Shadow's animal instincts helped him to find out the position of his opponent.

By the time the smoke settled, Zephyr had Shadow trapped by twisting both his arms on his back and keep them there. Zephyr had a ton of bruises and bled slightly, but he grinned at his victory. He tightened his grip just in case though.

Shadow scowled. He twisted his legs around Zephyr's and twisted around. Because of the momentum, Zephyr's grip loosened and fell slightly. Meanwhile, Shadow was free and clawed his chest successfully. Zephyr started bleeding deeply and so went to the ground. However, because of his heritage, he was better in no time. Shadow was in the air, watching his progress. Suddenly, he saw Zephyr smirk and started aiming at something else. Clearly he could see something that Shadow could not. He followed his gaze and gasped.

He flew over as fast as he could and managed to put up a shield just as Zephyr launched. He yelled at the other person, "What are you doing here, Raven? You know better than to be in the middle of the battlefield!"

Raven just merely lent him his powers, retorting," I just felt some magical disturbance and came here. Apparently, your opponent wanted to kill me." Shadow faltered momentarily, but recovered quickly. "Are the others here? And don't worry; the attack is almost over!"

Raven helped make sure that Shadow wouldn't lose much energy and replied, "No, they're not. All I know is that they know I'm here, but decided not to come. And who said I was worry?" Shadow let that last comment slide. He knew she hid her fear with sarcasm. Finally, the attack subsided, but he kept the shield up. "Okay, Raven, listen to me and no arguments! Go back and tell the team, especially Nightwing, that Nakama and I are coming to talk with you guys! NOW, GO!" In a split second, he let down his shield, created a portal, and pushed Raven inside it to the Tower. Needless to say, she landed in front of the team and told them the news. Now back to the battle.

Zephyr yelled in frustration and transformed into his demon wolf form, which has wings. His whole body was midnight black and his body had a powerful built to it. His eyes were red and the pupils were slits. He howled, demanding a whole new challenge from Shadow. He immediately complied, becoming a demon wolf himself. It was black, but with green spots here and there. His muzzle was filled with sharp fangs that looked like it could tear flesh with no problem at all. His ears were quite short, but hear sounds that normal people couldn't hear. He, too, had wings that were as long as a bookshelf. He growled, accepting the challenge.

The black wolf flew upward and instantly attacked the black-and-green wolf with its fangs and paws. The other wolf fought back, attacking just as hard as Zephyr. They both drew blood on their opponents. It wasn't very deep wounds, but enough for it bleed, though not heavily, thank goodness. Otherwise, they would have both died. Then, right when Zephyr saw an opening and was about to attack, a voice came in his head," _I've got the supplies. Time to go."_

"_Fine!" _Aloud, he said," Well, Shadow, you win this time, but I'll be back, I swear it!" He transformed back into his human form and went through a portal he created. Shadow reverted back too and began the process of healing his injuries.

**~Nakama and Rin-yasha's fight while Shadow and Zephyr were fighting~**

"So, Nakama, let's see who is better," Rin-yasha spoke, while getting her staff.

"I completely agree with you," Nakama challenged back while getting her sword. They exchanged a few blows and Nakama got a slash on Rin-yasha's chest. It wasn't deep, but still hurted Rin-yasha, restricting some of her movements. However, she retorted back by hitting her side hard and breaking a few of Nakama's ribs. As one, they abandoned their weapons and transformed into their demon wolf forms. Nakama was red, almost the same color as red, and had black stripes here and there. Her body had a more feminine look to it, but proved to be fast when speed is needed.

They instantly attacked each other with fangs and paws. Blood spilled everywhere, which Rin-yasha delighted in. She eagerly drank the blood she got in her mouth. Nakama had slightly more injuries than Rin-yasha, but was fighting pretty well for someone in her condition. Just as Rin-yasha saw an opening and was about to bite her neck, a voice rang in her head,_ "I've got them. Time to go."_

_ "Fine." _She transformed back into her human form and bowed, meaning that she had submitted. "I'm afraid it's time for me to go, so bye-bye for now." **(A/N Sorry if there was barely any details, but my head was tired and my shoulder hurts.)**

Nakama knelt and had her injuries healed in a second. Shadow then came down and knelt by her. He helped heal some of the injuries that she had missed and spoke, in a soft voice," We need to go somewhere. I promised a certain person that I would meet her and the rest of them." He opened a portal and they stepped through it, right into the Tower's common room.

Everybody immediately stopped doing their things and got ready. In reality, only Nightwing got ready. Shadow raised his hands," Don't worry, Nightwing. We're not here to harm you. "_"Although I wish I could," _he mentally added. He continued," Look, I know you're wary of us, but we're not your enemies, but neither are we comrades. We're just here to defeat the rising threat."

Nightwing reluctantly put away his staff, but kept his hand over his belt. "How do we know we can trust you?"

This time, Nakama answered," Because we don't joke about these kind of situations. Besides, I know that each of you are doubting whether we're strong enough or not. It's clear in your expressions." It was true; each face had looks of doubt.

Shadow stepped forward," To prove that I _am _strong enough; I propose a battle with the leader. No powers and no tricks. If I win, well, I'll stay and fight Zephyr and Nakama. If I lose, I won't bother to contact you guys ever again." He held out his hand and Nightwing shook it.

"Follow me. You guys can come too." He and Nakama phased right to the shore of the Tower. When they finally caught up, they all flew to an island that was bare, no animas at all, just a few trees.

Nightwing had his feet apart at shoulder length and the right foot was slightly higher than the left foot. His right arm was at a 90 degree angle and the left arm was in front of his chest, looking like half of a X. Shadow smirked. The injury over his eye had stopped bleeding and started to become a scab. However, Shadow knew that even if he could speed up the healing process, he would still have the scar, now and forever. But, in a few minutes, his eye can open and then he'll be able to fight with both eyes open. He too got into a stance, but a different one. This was the 2nd stance, meaning that he thought that Nightwing would be easy to beat, but still a challenge. He turned his body sideways and his right arm forward, bent and sideways. His hand was curled, looking like a claw. His left arm was at a 90 degree against his chest, his hand also curled, like a claw.

Shadow thought with amusement, but with a hint of seriousness," _His stance is good, but it has a flaw that could cost him his life if he ever fought with Slade. His stance is good for offensive, but it's bad at defense." _ On the other hand, Shadow's stance was good because it would allow him to move fluidly and quickly. Nightwing immediately threw a punch, but Shadow merely knocked it to the side and punched him in the gut as fast as lightening.

Nightwing gasped," But that's impossible. No human can move that fast. Are you using your powers? Raven, is he?" Raven scanned and shook her head. "Not that I can tell."

Shadow merely laughed, his body shaking," Nightwing, who ever said I was human? Because of my heritage and what's in my blood, I can move really fast and yet not use any of my powers." Every time Nightwing tried to punch and/or kick him, he just moved away, but didn't attack back. After all, where's the fun in that? He was taking it pretty easy since his animal instincts could help predict where his punches and/or kicks would land.

He eventually started fighting back once he could open his right eye. It was startlingly green, almost like emerald. There were so many emotions standing out, but they were very mixed. It was almost impossible to see what he was feeling. Nightwing was startled for that green eye seemed familiar yet different. He just shook his head, banishing those thoughts away.

He came at Shadow again, throwing a punch that would have surely worked if it wasn't for Shadow's animal instincts. He stopped it with the palm of his left hand. Shadow growled," This is your punishment in my point of view." He twisted his hand and arm and made the bones break throughout the whole arm. He then twisted it the other way and sent Nightwing's body spinning. He then landed a kick in the middle of his chest. Nightwing then proceeded to break a lot of trees. By the time the dust settled, he was bleeding, but not heavily, had a ton of cuts, a broken arm, a slight concussion, two or more broken ribs, and had blood coming from his mouth.

Nakama stepped forward to prevent more damage for Shadow and the Beast was in a rage at seeing the leader again, "I think that Shadow is the winner. Does anybody disagree?" She gave them a piercing gaze. All the Titans shook their head no, not wanting to feel Shadow's rage. "Then I declare Shadow the winner!" Shadow took a few deep breaths and calmed down. He looked at Nightwing and slightly pitied him. He healed a few of his major injuries and said," You'll have to ask Raven to heal the rest herself. Come on Nakama, let's go." He took to the air and Nakama followed. They both went flying towards the distance.

A few hours later, while Shadow and Nakama were meditating, Raven came and visited them. They stopped, but only after ensuring that their emotions were under tight control. Raven stepped forward hesitantly, "Nightwing wants to talk to you guys. He swears that nothing will happen or anything close to that." Shadow and Nakama nodded at each other and followed her to the shore of the Tower.

Nightwing stepped up to them just as they landed. "Welcome," he spoke although his voice didn't sound welcome. "I have decided, and along with the team's decision, that you can live with us, right here in the Tower." Nakama and Shadow exchanged startled and surprised glances, but Shadow was even more caught unguarded. He had a chance to be with his old team after those long years.

**Well, there's the end of the chapter! Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't think I should extend it any longer. That and I wanted to keep the suspense.**

**Wow! Over 6,000 words! That's a lot more than I've written before without the extra notes and whatnot. Without these notices, it would be 14 pages in Word.**

**Well, I'm sorry to say for those who really, really love this story, but I'm afraid I won't update for a llooonnnngggg time. It's not because I want to be lazy (only for holidays), no it's because well, the next chapter is going to take a large amount of my time. And even if Shadow DOES accept, the interactions will be hard to capture.**

**Then, it's a good thing this chapter is REALLY long because then you have something to enjoy during the time it takes me to update. SEE YOU LATER!**

**P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! I really, REALLY want to know what's going on in your heads and to see if you really like it.**


	9. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter of Trust is a Must. Sorry if it's short and all, but I have an idea for the next few chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

Needless to say, Shadow and Nakama were utterly shocked. To have Nightwing openly ask them to live in the Tower with them, well, they certainly weren't expecting that. For Nakama, she wanted to, but at the same time, she could feel the tension between Shadow and the team. She knew that she wasn't a part of it and therefore, shouldn't interfere. For Shadow, he and the Beast were a bit angry. Nightwing kicked a friend off the team and then he had the nerve to invite two strangers that he doesn't know about. On the other hand, they felt hope. They could try to mend the past and finally be with Raven. The Beast was all for it to accept the offer, but Shadow, after what happened in the past, wanted to decline the offer. After all, who could blame him? The team didn't trust him, left him to dry after Nightwing's verbal beating, and let him go without a second thought.

Shadow replied curtly," Thanks for the offer, but we decline. If that is all, we shall be on our way." He motioned for Nakama to take flight and they both went back to the cave. Nakama was quite confused, but followed Shadow nevertheless. She knew that he had his reasons and that they were for the best.

The moment they landed, Nakama turned to him and asked, with a curious voice," So, what made you want to decline that offer? I thought you wanted to be with the team?"

Shadow merely turned to the direction of the Tower and didn't respond for a while. When he did, his voice was carefully even," I did want to be with the team. However, I find it unreasonable to accept the offer since Nightwing is very untrusting of strangers. I suspect that he had planned this whole thing out. Who knows? For now, though, we need to keep on our guard." Nakama nodded, knowing that there were more reasons. She didn't pry for she knew how hard it was for Shadow to decline the offer to be with his old team.

In a matter of few minutes, there was an explosion from the Tower. From the dust, they could make out two dark figures. With worry in their eyes, they boosted their speed and went flying to stop the two figures.

With no surprise, it was Zephyr and Rin-yasha. Zephyr was holding Raven's mirror, but it seemed that Rin-yasha was not holding anything at all. Zephyr growled with frustration," Why can't you guys leave us along?"

Shadow replied back calmly, his cloak flapping against the wind," You know very well that we can't leave you alone. If we did, then who could we play with?" With tremendous speed, he was in front of Zephyr and punched him right in the face. Zephyr's grip on the mirror loosened and Shadow saw the opportunity to snatch it from him.

Just then, a figure with a black cloak and hood on appeared between the two groups ready to do battle. In a deep voice, the person spoke with an eerie tone," Stop fighting. Shadow and Nakama, you'll have to excuse us. Our master is calling us and he does not like to be inpatient." Just like that, all three of them were gone.

Shadow and Nakama were baffled. They had no clue that there was a third person who was with those two. Looking at the mirror, Shadow was satisfied that the mirror wasn't damaged in the slightest. They went back to the Tower and landed right in front of the team, who were in Raven's now destroyed room.

He handed the mirror back to Raven and turned to Nightwing," Well, since Zephyr and Rin-yasha seem to be targeting you guys, I guess we'll have no choice, but to accept the offer, if it still stands." Nightwing nodded, sticking his hand out. Shadow shook it. The deal was officially done.

**Okay, now the next few chapters will be the interactions between Shadow, Nakama, and the Titans. Most likely, about 2-3 next chapters MIGHT be updated today, not sure. But I guarantee that the next chapters will all be around the interactions. After the interactions, let's just say that the surprises will start to reveal themselves.**

**By the way, I'm sorry for having this chapter short. I didn't think it would be wise to cram all the interactions in one chapter. So, for the next few chapters, think of them as one-shots, okay?**

**PLEASE REVIEW! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS FANFIC SO FAR!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Well, here's the first chapter on the interactions. It might not be much and that's because I don't really have any experience on these type of "one-shots."**

**Disclaimer: I do own Teen Titans.**

During the next day, in the early morning, around 6, Shadow woke up and went to the common room. He saw Raven meditating and he couldn't resist annoying her a little. "Hey, Raven, how are you doing? Unless you're just trying to suppress your emotions." Predictably, Raven fell right on her bottom.

She turned to the young man, a little annoyed that the stranger just popped out of nowhere. "I was just meditating and please don't interrupt me. Also, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Just then, the common room doors opened, which revealed Nakama, who was currently yawning. "Please stop bickering. Raven, we normally wake up at this time and it's not weird to see us up and at it." She went to prepare herself a breakfast of toast and eggs. Surprisely, Shadow didn't retort. After seeing blood a ton of times, eating meat doesn't really bother him anymore. That and he didn't want to blow their cover.

Raven seemed satisfied, "Alright, but one more time and I swear that I'll send you into the first dimension that I think of."

Shadow waved his arm, with a small smile on his mouth," Go ahead. We'll just come back." He looked at Raven with amusement when her eyes widened slightly. He then remembered why he loved teasing/annoying Raven. It was because of the fact that her expressions were very interesting and always took him off-guard. That and the fact that he thought she looked cute when she was mad.

He ate his own breakfast, which was the same as Nakama's. Before Cyborg arrived, shouting how hungry he was, the rest of the time was filled with silence.

**Well, what did you think? Personally, I thought it sounded rushed, but that's my opinion. Remember, this is my first time doing something like this, so please no flames. However, tips and advice are welcomed.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Also, try to give me some tips to make these interactions more, well, realistic, I guess would be the word for it.**


	11. Chapter 9

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! Think of this as a Christmas present that I hope that you can enjoy!**

**Well, here's another "one-shot" aka moment of how Nakama and Shadow will interact with the Titans. I think it's kind of good, but that's for you to decide!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

Right when Shadow was about to say something, Cyborg burst in and announced practically to the whole word," I'M STARVING!" Upon reaching the kitchen, he immediately took out a pan and placed in it on the hot stove. From the refrigerator, he pulled out pounds upon pounds of raw meat. He then started cooking the meat and said after taking a deep breath," Ahhh, now _that_ smells good. Nothing beats the smell of cooking meat in the morning."

Normally, Shadow would be disgusted, but after making that deal with the Beast, he really wasn't _that _disgusted. Part of the deal that he made with his "instinct" was to eat (he shudders a little) meat. Not a lot, but at least enough to satisfy the Beast aka about 2 pounds of meat each week. After cooking and eating meat for pretty much 5 years, he had adapted to both the smell and the taste.

On the other hand, from where Nakama was raised, eating meat was wrong. That was because they saw eating meat as killing living beings just for their own selfish desires. Nakama completely, 100% agreed with them for after seeing blood so many times and all, she started getting sick of killing life. Sure, beings are bad, but that doesn't mean to deserve to die.

And that was the exact reason why she coughed at the smell of the grease of the meat. To her, it was like, well, there might not be a better word, poison. Not the kind of poison that would kill you. No, I mean the kind of poison that would cause you pain. That's exactly what the smell did. It entered her body and it was hurting her mentally because she felt sorry for the animal that was killed. It was just doing what it was supposed to do. It didn't deserve to die. No wonder why Shadow was so hesitant to eat meat in the first place. He was more intoned to animals and nature and it must have hurt him to see the remains of animals that he can turn into.

Cyborg noticed her reaction to the smell," What's wrong, Nakama? You can't handle a bit of meat?" Nakama's eyes hardened a little," Yes, because that poor animal had to sacrifice its life to feed your stomach.

Cyborg just lazily brought the meat to his plate," So what? Meat is meat and it's just the way of life. To eat another, well, that's just the way it is."

Nakama stood up, about to protest, when Shadow grabbed her arm. He shook his head no, signaling to not lose control of herself. That didn't escape Raven's notice. That tiny bit of action proved to her that those two had a special bond. A bond that allowed them to understand each other without words.

Nightwing and Starfire came in and went about their usual business. Not surprisely, Nightwing seemed more tense than usual. Starfire, however, was a different matter. She still had her bubbly cheerful personality; the only thing wrong was that she wasn't acting like it. She liked the two strangers, for they seemed to fight on the side of justice; it was just that they were _strangers. _She didn't really know them that much, but they knew a lot about her. It made her feel, well, vulnerable. She didn't like that feeling.

While Nightwing was preparing his own breakfast, he thought to himself," _Hopefully, I can find out more about Shadow and Nakama. I have a feeling that these two are people that are very important." _He sat and ate his breakfast, which was bacon and eggs. What a very healthy breakfast he ate. All the time he was eating the food, he watched Shadow and Nakama very carefully.

He deduced that Shadow definitely knew the team inside and out. From the past experience of being near him, he could tell that Shadow seemed to know about the members and everything else. That part had him really confused. He would have to _actually _be on the team, and his mind came up with an irrational theory, well, it was irrational to him anyway. The so-called irrational theory was that Shadow _was _Beast Boy, but he refused to even think yes to that question. He saw how powerful the Beast was and couldn't take the risk of Beast Boy staying on the team.

As for Nakama, she was harder to read. All that Nightwing could really tell was that she could a very fierce when needed to be. He also noticed that she seemed to be glaring at Cyborg's back, most likely for him eating meat. He took a mental note that she hates killing and hates eating meat.

Still, he noticed how close those two were. He wasn't sure how close, but he knew that they trusted each other. He finished his coffee and went to the training room to practice his moves. He would have to be in tip-top shape to even land a punch on Zephyr and/or Rin-yasha.

Meanwhile, Raven went to the roof to meditate, Shadow went to the shoreline of the Tower to think, and Cyborg went to work on his "baby." That left Nakama with Starfire in the common room.

Starfire then decided after a moment that it would be best for her to hang around with Nakama and get to know her better. She asked quite hesitantly," Umm, Stranger Nakama, will you do the mall of the shopping with me?"

Nakama considered the question in just a few seconds. Shadow told her stories about how Starfire would drag either Robin and/or Raven to do the mall of shopping and how both of them would collapse when they arrived at the Tower. She wondered how bad it was. She answered," Sure, I don't see why not?"

Starfire's eyes shines," Glorious! I promise that you shall not regret it!" Right then, Nakama started regretting accepting. However, before she could take it back, Starfire started dragging her to the mall.

**Well, here's the end of another chapter! I've decided that the next chapter will all be about how Nakama and Starfire will do the mall of shopping. And the next chapters will be about Shadow interacting with the other Titans. **

**Okay, to summarize it, the next chapter will be about the interactions of Starfire and Nakama. After THAT chapter, the next three chapters will mainly be about Shadow's interactions while the two girls are gone. However, keep in mind that all the events in the next four chapters will happen in ONE day. **

**And if you have any good advice about how Shadow and Nakama can interact with the other Titans, I'll be glad to hear them. I have a feeling I'll need all the help I can get.**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS, FELIZ NAVIDAD AND PLEASE REVIEW BECAUSE THAT'LL BE A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ME!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Hope you like my Christmas present last chapter! Meaning that you enjoyed the chapter!**

**By the way, this chapter will focus on how Nakama deals with shopping with Starfire.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter since I didn't update for awhile.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, otherwise I would have made Nightwing/Robin pay earlier for having a too big of an ego.**

Nakama was pretty tired and grumpy. A very bad combination for her. Ever since she agreed to shop with Starfire, she pretty much regretted it. Now she saw why Robin and/or Raven dreaded it so much. She yawned a little. Ever since she had taken the offer, she and Starfire had been in, like, 20 shops in one hour. Man, the way Starfire acted like, you would think that she was just finally being her old, cheery self. In reality, however, Starfire actually visited more shops in under an hour than usual. Since this was Nakama's first time, she didn't notice.

The reason why Starfire visited more shops than usual was because it was out of stress and nervousness. The stress was from worrying about Beast Boy and also from the so-called Boy Wonder. Nightwing had started getting more and more distant from her and she worried that their relationship would fall apart completely.

Just then, Nakama pulled her out of her thoughts by asking," Hey, umm, Star, it's almost lunchtime and I'm kinda of hungry. Any chance that we could stop for food?"

Star stopped and thought for a moment, then came up with a perfect idea. She responded," Of course, Stranger Nakama! I know just the perfect place! Come on!" She dragged Nakama along with her bags to none other than the pizza parlor.

"Stranger Nakama, this is where we can enjoy pizza! I hope you like it!" Starfire commented quite cheerfully.

Nakama was, to say the least, curious. In truth, she's never eaten pizza before. She's seen Shadow talk about it with watering eyes and mouth. She wondered since then about how well it tasted.

Just then, the waiter came. "What would you like?" he asked quite formally since he _was _in front of two super humans.

Nakama quickly complied before Star could even order," We'll just have the vegetarian special." The waiter bowed and went to prepare the order.

Within about 10 minutes, the pizza arrived. It had olives, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Nakama watched with disgust when Star poured mustard over her pizza, ate it, and enjoyed the taste.

Star asked," Would you like to try it, Stranger Nakama?" Nakama quickly shook her head no.

While Star was enjoying her "food," she thought about one moment that she shared with Beast Boy. It was when there was a huge thunderstorm happening right outside the Tower.

_Flashback_

_ There was a huge thunderstorm outside the Tower. Starfire was scared to death. The sudden sounds and the flashing of the thunder frightened her to bits. Earlier, she went to her boyfriend, Robin, for comfort. Unsurprisely, Robin rejected her, saying that he was too busy to help her out._

_ Depressed, Star was left to go to her room and dug her head into the pillows of her bed. Every time the thunder clapped outside her window, she would whimper with fear._

_ Eventually, Beast Boy emerged in the room. It was only thanks to his ears that he was able to hear Star's whimpering. He couldn't help but ask," Hey, umm, Star, are you okay? Okay, that sounded a bit dumb?" He looked around with questioning eyes," Where's Robin?"_

_ Starfire's voice cracked a little from fear," B-boyfriend R-r-robin said that h-he was t-too busy. S-so for now, I-I'm all alone." Outside, Beast Boy seemed calm, but in truth, he was quite angry at the leader for abandoning his girlfriend in her time of need._

_ He really wanted to comfort Star, but wasn't sure how because Robin would bite his head off for touching his girlfriend. He put a hand to his chin and started thinking. Then, all of a sudden, he snapped his fingers. A brilliant idea just hit him._

_ He said to Star," I don't think that even Robin can kill me for this." Just then, he morphed into a cute kitten and curled right up next to her head. Starfire smiled a little, pulled the blankets over her, and gradually went to sleep. Beast Boy's presence was very comforting to her. She wasn't really scared of the storm anymore._

_ Ever since then, every time there was a thunderstorm, Beast Boy would help her out in that way. Also, a kind of family bond started building up between them._

_ End of flashback_

Starfire's body started trembling a little. Nakama couldn't help but notice this and couldn't help but ask her," What's wrong, Star?"

After a moment of silence, Star answered," I miss Beast Boy. I miss his jokes, his laughter. But most of all, I miss his presence."

Nakama was silent for awhile. Shadow felt the same, but she wasn't sure how to comfort Star without revealing his location and/or identity. Then, it clicked. She could use their family relationship to her advantage. She put a hand to Star's shoulder and said quietly," Look, I don't know if he's willing to forgive you, but I know that if your bond with him is strong, then he will most likely come back."

Star took a moment to let those words sink in. Once they did, she realized that Nakama was right. Beast Boy _would _come back if he cared about her and the team, not counting Nightwing. She holded on those words for they let her think more clearly than before.

She said to Nakama," Thank you, Friend Nakama." Nakama's eyes blink with surprise, but then nodded, accepting Star as a new friend. After that, Nakama could endure the shopping and those two bonded pretty well over the shopping.

**I am so, SO sorry for not updating for about a week. Family stuff and some computer stuff came up and well, I got really busy and all. Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, maybe not a lot, but you're still satisfied from it.**

**I'm sorry again to say that I won't be able to update as much as I would like since winter break will officially be over tomorrow. *cries silently* But I WILL try to update as fast as possible, just not as much as I would like.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! And I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't as good as you expected it to be.**


	13. Chapter 11

**A new chapter! YAY! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

While Nakama went out to shop with Starfire, Shadow was left to think in the common room by himself. He thought to himself," _Man, Nakama is going to regret big time accepting that offer. But, knowing her, she's probably already regretting it." _He then noticed something out of place. It was quiet, too quiet. In the Tower, things were rarely quiet. There was no video game sounds, no "BOO-YAH!"

Shadow noticed that Cyborg wasn't playing video games at all. Since he wasn't in the Tower for the past seven years, he didn't know that it had become a regular habit of Cyborg; to just spent time with his car and trying not to be near Nightwing. Actually, Shadow noticed quite quickly that Cyborg seemed a bit hostile to Nightwing.

In truth, Shadow wasn't really surprised. He had predicted it after he left the Tower. Since he was Cyborg's best friend and "little" brother, him getting kicked off would have affected Cyborg and naturally, the latter would have blamed Nightwing, which technically _was _his fault in the first place.

But he was beyond surprised to notice that Cyborg was fixing his car instead of playing single player. Shadow thought bitterly," _Why should I care? He just watched from the sidelines as I was kicked off. He didn't even try to help." _Even though he kept repeating those words to himself, he knew that in his heart, he would have the ability to forgive Cyborg. While he was still upset, he couldn't stay mad forever at the big guy.

Speaking of him, it's time that Shadow interacted with him a little. After all, he wanted to see for himself how much Cy missed him. He went down to the garage and not to his surprise, Cy was working on fixing his car that kinda of got damaged during the battle with Zephyr and Rin-yasha. However, this time, to his surprise, Cyborg was taking his time on the car. He wasn't rushing, he was carefully doing it. It seemed like he wanted to fix his car forever and ever.

Shadow decided to strike up some conversation," Hey, Cyborg, how are you doing?" Cyborg hit his head on the hood of the car and looked up. To Shadow's utter surprise, there were tear streaks across his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away and Shadow pretended not to notice.

Cyborg replied with little emotion, very different from his past self," Hmmm, oh, I'm doing fine. Besides working with my baby helps me feel better."

Shadow raised his eyebrow at that statement. He didn't miss that subtle hint. Cyborg was sad, but he could be sad at anything. The Beast spoke to him," _No, not just anything. It would have to be something deep to affect that much." _Shadow didn't even try to argue back because he knew that the Beast was right. While he was contained inside Shadow's mind, he analyzed each of the Titans and could easily guess what they're feeling and why.

Shadow casually leaned against the bookshelf," Doesn't sound like you feel better. Tell me, what's wrong?" Knowing Cyborg, he'll just wave his hand and say that it's none of your business. Boy, was he wrong.

The reaction was practically the opposite of what he was expecting. Cyborg collapsed to his knees and started crying a little. He didn't care that he barely knew Shadow. He didn't care that Shadow was a stranger to him. All he cared about was releasing his feelings. He managed to take control of his tears and replied," It's my old teammate, Beast Boy. The leader kicked him off and I just watched from the sidelines." He stood up, went to a bare wall, meaning that nothing was on it, and punched it as hard as he can. "I can't believe that I turned my back on my best bud and right as his time of need." He punched the wall again, leaving another hole. "I wish he came back. I wish he would forgive me. I wish I could beside his side again." He turned and slid down the wall, holding his head in his hands.

While he was silently crying his head off (not that we can blame him), Shadow noticed something. The wall that Cyborg was punching had tons of holes on it. In fact, it looked like the wall was about to collapse on itself. Then and there, Shadow understood a part of Cyborg's sadness and misery. Not the whole magnitude, but at least part of it and he was satisfied with that.

In his mind and heart, he silently forgave Cyborg. He was about to leave, but realized it wouldn't be right. He went to the crying man and knelt in front of him. After a few moments and after choosing his words carefully, he said quietly," Look, Cyborg, I may have not known Beast Boy or what happened, but I can tell you this. If the bond you guys had was a special bond, a one-of-a-kind bond, then I can bet my money that he will forgive you. After all, bonds leave a mark in the soul that can never disappear." Shadow was satisfied with his words and left. There was only one regret, lying to him. However, he couldn't risk Cy figuring out that he was Beast Boy, the lost teammate.

Just as Cyborg was sitting in his misery, he remembered a flashback. It was after Beast Boy got kidnapped by that space dude and he had felt angry at himself for pushing BB away and making him feel like he wasn't needed.

_Flashback_

_ Cyborg felt ashamed. He felt horrible. He drove his best buddy, and for what? Just for ruining his "baby." You can fix a car, but friendship isn't so easy to fix. He put his head in his hands. God, what did he do? Ever since they came back to the Tower, Beast Boy was avoiding them. They had hurt him, but Cyborg was determined to fix it._

_ While Beast Boy was going to the common room to get refreshments, he blocked his way. Cyborg smiled a warm smile," Hey, BB, want to play some video games? After all, I can beat you with no prob at all."_

_ Back then, Beast Boy couldn't resist a challenge, no matter what he was feeling. He smiled brightly," Sure, Cy! And this time, I'm going to win!"_

_ For the next 4-5 hours, they played video games without stopping. People came and went. Surprisely, Beast Boy managed to beat Cyborg most of the time. And for once, Cy was being a good sport about it. That day, with some effort, their friendship was mended almost instantly._

_End of flashback_

Cyborg suddenly stood up, with determination in his eyes. Now he could see it. He could see him and BB doing their usual habits. Having fun. Joking around. Not having a care in the world.

He looked at the doorway where Shadow left. He silently thanked him for reviving his spirits and started fixing his car with more vigor.

Unknown to him, Shadow was just outside the doorway. He smiled when he felt Cy's spirits lift up. He was satisfied to find out that Cyborg _did _miss him and that he managed to cheer him up without having him suspect a thing. With a flap of his cloak, he went back upstairs, smiling at the prospect of once again being able to annoy Raven.

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed that. Unfortunately, won't be able to update awhile. For one, I have school. For another, well, let's just say that an episode of an anime shook me up, I mean REALLY shook me up. *shudders* Man, I never thought I would see that kind of thing in animes.**

**Anyway, not sure when I'll update next, but I'll try my best, even if my head hurts.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 12

**I am SOOOO unbelievably sorry for not updating Trust is a Must for awhile now! I know I normally update faster than this, but social life, emotional situations, and whatnot got in the way.**

**Now, let's get a move on and enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Teen Titans, unfortunately.**

Shadow made his way up the stairs, up to the roof where his beloved Raven was meditating, controlling her emotions as usual. He smiled at the prospect of being able to annoy her. However, he frowned at the thought of having to change his teasing style. If he acted like his old self, then Raven would start to connect the pieces and he couldn't afford that. He noticed that she started to already get suspicious of him and shouldn't give her any more reasons to suspect that he _is _her long-lost teammate.

He opened the door and welcomed the sunlight. There, near the edge of the roof, was his black bird. She, as usual, was mediating by the edge of the rooftop with her blue cloak whipping against the fierce wind. Raven seemed unbothered by this.

Shadow went to Raven, and instead of saying anything or playing a prank, he sat next to her, waiting patiently until she was gone. He did not have to wait long for Raven had seen this as an opportunity to finally speak with the mysterious Shadow.

She gently sat on the cool surface of the roof and after a moment, spoke softly, almost as if she was scared of driving him off," What are you doing here?"

Shadow so desperately wanted to say," To see how my black angel is doing," but he couldn't risk revealing his and/or Nakama's true identity. Instead, he said," Just checking on what you were doing. Checked up on Cyborg and since your leader seems to be hostile to me, I found it best to just look for you."

Raven nodded and went back to her thoughts. Now that she was closer to Shadow, she could feel his aura better. She noticed that there seemed to be similarities between his and Beast Boy's but she couldn't tell if they were one and the same. She hadn't felt her lost teammate's aura for over seven years or so.

After a few moments of silence, she asked quietly," So, how are you enjoying your stay so far at the Tower?"

Shadow leaned back casually and with a slight smile," Well, I'm not really sure yet. But I can tell you this, it has been pretty quiet. Too quiet. In fact, I feel like I walked into a graveyard. No offense, but seeing as this Tower has superheroes in it, I would have at least expect a lot of shouting, a lot of fighting, and a lot of noises, not for it to be silent as a grave." He turned his head to Raven, silently asking her for an explanation.

Raven let out a heavy sigh and debated silently whether she should tell this strange person the truth or not. In the end, she decided to reveal a few parts to it. She started speaking, aware that Shadow was paying attention to every word," Well, before, we had another teammate, but after his leave, the team, just, well, started falling apart. Before long, the atmosphere got pretty tense. That's pretty much what happened."

Shadow looked back at the sunset with a thoughtful look on his face. _'Interesting,' _he thought to himself, '_Things fell apart almost right after I left. Hmm, they missed me that much? Well, not Nightwing, but still, the team was affected that much?' _Neither he or the Beast could believe that their old teammates was affected that much. It was overwhelming to know that he was missed when they didn't even do anything to help him.

While Shadow was reflecting on this interesting find, Raven suddenly recalled a flashback. It had happened while Beast Boy tried to save Raven when her powers suddenly stopped working.

_Flashback:_

_ There were Slade robots surrounding the whole team. Robin broke them with his martial art skills, Cyborg utterly smashed them, Starfire blasted them apart, Beast Boy turned from one animal to another, scratching them and avoiding their attacks at the same time, and Raven used her black energy to protect her teammates while being on the offensive._

_ Suddenly, out of nowhere, her powers stopped working. Unfortunately, it stopped working at the wrong time. A Slade robot was about to pull its fist back for a brutal punch and Raven didn't have any defense against the punch that was about to be thrown._

_ She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Instead, what she felt was something pushing her aside and then a huge, loud crunching sound and then what sounded like metal pieces dropping to the floor._

_ From the floor, Raven hesitantly opened her eyes and immediately regretted looking. She gasped and quickly went to the object that saved her from sudden death._

_ Beast Boy was in wolf form, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The punch had broken most of his bones and tore some of the skin. The green wolf started whining in the pain he was feeling._

_ Raven looked down at Beast Boy, panicking on how to save him. Around them, Robin and the others were trying to protect them from the robots, trying to give Raven some time to give him some treatment._

_ Raven desperately tried to use her healing powers, but they seemed to be blocked by something or someone. In desperation, she took her cloak off and wrapped it around the wound. Since it was stretchable, it could wrap around his body about 4-5 times. The blood quickly seeped through the cloth, but it seemed to help Beast Boy as he stopped whining._

_ The rest of the team had finally enough of the robots and Cyborg took about half of them with his sonic cannon, Starfire about a quarter of them with her eyebolts and starbolts, and Robin and Cyborg combined the cannon and the disks to form the "Duo Attack," wiping out the rest._

_ Cyborg immediately assisted Raven and Robin in getting Beast Boy in the T-Car without trying to damage the wounds even more. Then, Star carried the leader while Cy drove the car as fast as he could while making sure that at the same time, looking back BB every now and then._

_ Then, the usual procedure happened with hooking the wolf to the machines and then making sure he doesn't lose too much blood._

_ For a few days, it was touch and go for awhile, but in the end, Raven managed to get her powers unblocked and could heal the wounds. After that, everything went smoothly from there._

_End of flashback_

Back then, Raven had a crush on Beast Boy that was starting to develop into love. She could never forget the amount of fear she had felt that week. She was oh so scared of losing her crush.

Shadow sensed that Raven was in deep thought about something and so desperately wanted to know why, but he knew that he shouldn't interfere with her thoughts. He had to let her influence them herself, not him to do it.

He joked slightly, "Well, it seems that the Tower is getting just plain dreary. At least try to be more cheerful."

Raven turned her head to slightly glare at Shadow and said in a threatening voice," Maybe I _don't_ want to be gloomy. Maybe I have no choice, but to be like this."

Shadow raised his hands in defense," Whoa, back up there a second. What I'm trying to say is, that if you want to make the place seem more colorful, add a bit of personality to it."

Raven merely continued to glare and growled," Well, _my _personality is just fine, thank you very much."

Shadow rolled his eyes, not that Raven could see thanks to his mask. "Dude, all I'm just trying to do is help you guys. You don't have to take it; I'm just suggesting it."

Raven now glared at Shadow with a suspicious look. In her mind, she and her emotions were curious as to why this stranger, who appeared out of nowhere, wanted to help her. She quietly growled out," Please leave. I want to be left alone now."

Shadow nodded, understanding how broken she seemed to be inside. He decided that, for once, to leave her alone. He saw how, how sad the black bird was and he knew that this conversation had unlocked something inside her. To give her time, that would be the best path for now.

Meanwhile, just as Shadow was starting to relax on the couch, Nakama and Starfire walked in the common room, chatting, laughing, and holding _lots_of bags.

Shadow turned around and smiled at them," You guys had fun?" Starfire nodded vigorously and went to put the bags in her rooms. Just as she left behind the doors however, they opened again to reveal none other than the leader himself.

Nightwing nodded to Shadow in greeting and spoke to Nakama,"Hello there. Nakama, is it? I'm Nightwing, the leader in case you haven't figured it out yet." Both Nakama and Shadow exchanged looks at this. Nightwing continued, pretending not to have noticed anything," Well, just to get to know you better and work with you a little, do you mind helping me out with some papers?"

Nakama looked at Shadow, who nodded, agreeing that she should go. She, in turn, also agreed, and followed him to his office. Little did she know that she would uncover a secret only Shadow had found out in the past.

**And there's the end of another chapter! *applause* And once again, I'm sorry for not updating for awhile. And I'm also sorry to say that this might happen again. My situation right now is very precarious, but I'll try to work on the next chapter when I have time.**

**Please review! Because the more review this story will have, the more pumped I will be to quickly update it once more! **


	15. Chapter 13

**Wow! Honestly, I wasn't expecting to update yet ANOTHER chapter in the same day, but I shouldn't complain! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Not really, but I DO owe my OCs. **

Right at the moment, Nakama was helping Nightwing out with the papers. Every now and then, he would ask her some questions and she would answer some and ignore the others. Thankfully, the leader knew when he was pushing the envelope and stopped when he knew he hit a nerve.

A few hours came and went. Near the end of it, Nakama was utterly exhausted, well, mainly mentally exhausted. To read so many papers, and then to make sense of it, and then to choose the best decision, it wasn't easy. In fact, it was quite stressful. Nakama snickered quietly to herself, thinking," _No wonder why the Boy Wonder looked like there was a staff stuck in his butt."_

_Flashback_

_ Nakama and Shadow were relaxing in a room that they shared. Shadow was reading a book while Nakama was meditating._

_ While she was meditating, a thought struck her. She uncrossed her legs and landed gently on the floor, standing up. She hesitantly asked Shadow," Ummm, I just realized, well, what this Robin person like in general? You speak of him as somebody who should be hated by everybody, but what is the general perspective of him?"_

_ Shadow marked the page he was on and put it aside. He sat forward, putting his right hand on his face with a thoughtful look on his face. Nakama squirmed a little at the long silence, knowing that Shadow most likely wouldn't answer._

_ To her surprise, after a few moments, he spoke quietly, almost as if it seemed a dream from long ago," Well, most of the time, he seemed stressed. Almost as if a staff was stuck in his butt and it refused to get out. And, he was kinda of a good leader. He knew how villains think and the course of action to take. But, mainly, he had a _huge _ego. In fact, if we lost even a single battle, he would get mad and force all of us to train for a whole day. That would be the general perspective of him."_

_ He picked his book back up, leaving his partner to think on his words. She took up the Lotus position again, pondering on the new information that she had just found out. She knew that Robin was a good guy, but she didn't expect him to be _that _kind of leader. She didn't doubt Shadow at all for she knew that he wouldn't lie on these kinds of things._

_ She went back to deep meditation, knowing that one day, she would figure out the meanings of those words, no matter how straight forward they were._

_End of flashback_

Suddenly, Nakama found a few papers stuck between a drawer and the edge of the desk. From the looks of it, it looked like it was shoved in hastily. Making sure that Nightwing wasn't looking, Nakama sneakily got it out of the drawer and put in the pocket in her cape. Thankfully, he didn't notice anything.

Finally, all the papers were done. Nightwing nodded to Nakama in thanks," Thanks a lot, Nakama. If you didn't help me, then it would have taken twice as long." Nakama bowed her head in response and left to her room.

Once making sure that no one was eavesdropping on her, she opened the paper and gasped. Her eyes widened, quickly re-reading what was on the paper. She gasped again once she realized that what she read was true. And then, in an instant, her shock turned into anger. No, it was beyond anger. In fact, her temper was dangerously high. Her eyes flashed with red behind her mask, looking ready to murder anyone.

Just then, Shadow walked in the room and what he saw surprised him. Nakama was sitting on the bed with some papers in her hand. And her body was shaking. But, her body wasn't shaking from sadness. No, it was shaking from anger, no, not even anger. In his mind, both Shadow and the Beast described it as terrible rage.

They've only seen it once before and it was not a pretty sight. In fact, the sight made them gag with disgust, even the Beast, who loved blood and meat, was utterly disgusted by it. Shadow hesitantly stepped up to her and asked very carefully, almost as if she would attack him for the tone of his voice," Nakama? What's wrong? Did something bad happened?"

Nakama's head slowly went up to face Shadow and what he saw shook him. Her mouth was open, full of angst from what she read. Even with her mask on, he felt the anger and the shock that were in her eyes. And since he could also feel emotions, he could guess the magnitude of what she was feeling. And the amount of rage coursing through her mind scared him, even though he knew that he wasn't the target of the rage.

Nakama said in a very low, very threatening voice," Look at this. Look at these papers. I cannot believe that the leader, no, cross that. It doesn't fit him anymore. I cannot believe that that emotionless, unfeeling person would do something _this _low. To do this to his own girlfriend, to Starfire, how could he?" She showed Shadow the papers that she found.

Behind his mask, his eyes also widened. He knew from a glance what the fuss was about for after all, it was one of the main reasons why Nightwing was so desperate to kick him off the team. Shadow had accidently discovered it and then the leader found out and that's pretty much what happened. Shadow nodded," I see. But I don't get how we can tell someone without letting Nightwing know that we know."

Nakama shook her head, furious at Nightwing for his actions. "I could care less. To have this hidden from Star for about seven years, there's no way I'm letting her sit on the sidelines, not knowing what her own boyfriend was doing." Shadow agreed after a few seconds of silence, knowing that Nakama would keep insisting on it, plus that Star needed to find out _today _so that Nightwing could have what was coming to him.

They both went to Star's room and knocked, waiting for the door to slide open. They didn't have to wait long. Star opened the door, looking as cheerful as ever. The two started to feel guilty about having to tell her the bad news, but they knew it was for the best.

Star invited them in and all three of them sat on her bed. After a few moments of silence, Shadow thought it best to break it to her then. He started speaking," Look, Star, I'm afraid that we both have some pretty bad news for you." Star's eyes immediately was filled to the brim with worry.

Shadow closed his eyes and slightly tilted his head back, feeling each word stain his tongue," I'm sorry, Star. I really am, but I'm afraid we found some information that you should know. Your boyfriend, Nightwing, he's been cheating on you with other girls, both super and from the city. He's been doing it for years now." Shadow turned his way away from Star," I'm sorry, but here's the paper as proof."

He showed the papers to the princess, who accepted them with shaking hands. She looked them over and with each sentence she read, her eyes widened a bit more and tears started to spill out as she was almost done with reading all the papers.

Shadow got up and left to his room. He felt that only Nakama could help her since he himself did not understand how females' minds work at all. He decided to leave this to his partner, who surely would be able to comfort Star's broken heart.

Star let her hands loosen on the papers, making them fall to the floor. As each and every one landed on the floor, she broke down crying. Nakama hugged her, one arm along the shoulders and the other one around her waist, and brought her close to her, trying to comfort her.

She knew that no words could comfort Starfire, whose heart was broken to millions of pieces, but she also knew that Star needed some companionship for now.

Star dug her head on Nakama's shoulders, crying her eyes. The tears wetted the shirt thoroughly, but she didn't mind at all, knowing that the best way to recover was to just let it all out.

Eventually, Starfire fell asleep and Nakama tucked her in. She gathered all the papers once she was done and went outside. There, in front of her, was Raven and Cyborg looking both concerned and mad.

Without even asking, Nakama said casually to them," Just follow me and I'll explain why she was crying in the first place." She went to the room she was staying in, which was also Shadow's and the two Titans silently followed her, anxious for explanations.

By the time that she and Shadow were done explaining their found, Raven found herself beyond irritated with the "Boy Wonder." For Cyborg, he was seriously upset that one of his friends, no, the spandex-wearing homo (got this from bubbajack ^_^) cheated on his own girlfriend no less and didn't even regret it or even _tried _to stop what he was doing, even though he had full control over what he was doing.

Even though their anger was for different reasons, one thing was for sure, they were beyond angry at the spandex-wearing superhero. In their eyes, he had just crossed the line, _big _time.

**~Meanwhile~**

In their hideout, Zephyr and Rin-yasha were trying to prepare the potion that would help them release a very helpful teammate. The potion, however, would need two week for it to be able to do its purpose.

Their master was in his chambers, watching and carefully analyzing the Titans' situation. He smirked and laughed evilly. This was a huge turn in his plan, but he knew that it would also help him in his revenge. Maybe everything wasn't going to plan, but for the Titans to find out about the traitor's doings, that would of most use to him.

In his own room, Ragnor was busy thinking of plans. He was actually a double-crosser. He pretended to be Shadow and Nakama's side, when in reality, he was Zephyr and Rin-yasha's side. He was secretly helping them out while trying to make sure that the two heroes didn't know what up. He snickered quietly, very pleased that so far, everything was going so well.

**Well, there's the end of the chapter! I wonder how well the next one will go. ~_^**

**I really hope that this chapter made you keep on your toes! Tried to keep the suspense and all, but hope you enjoyed reading this fanfic so far!**

**Please review and maybe, I'll once again update soon enough! ^w^ See you next time!**


	16. AN

**I'm sorry for those who think that this is a chapter and all. I really am sorry. It's just that I feel that this story is starting to lose its feel. That I'M starting to lose my feel. And as much as I love this story and all, I'm thinking of discontinuing it.**

**I mean, it DOES have a lot of reviews and I DO have the idea for it, but *frowns* I don't know. It's like I WANT to continue it and I have the ideas laid out and all, but for some reason, my body doesn't want to do it. I guess this is what writer's block is like.**

**The point of this whole AN is that I'm thinking of discontinuing Trust is a Must and if this IS a writer's block, well, then a whole new challenge for me.**


	17. IMPORTANT!

**Okay, I know I disappointed a lot of people by thinking this is a chapter, but this is more of an announcement if anything. *serious look* You see, things on my end are getting very, very stressful and I won't be able to update as much. And as a favor, I welcome ideas for one-shot chapters, to help the story move along a little. Nothing major, like a meaningful conversation here and there. If I don't use your idea, please don't be offended. It's because it may not be suited for the story or it may become a major part in the story, which would make the story more complicated.**

**Feel free to PM your ideas to me or to leave them in a review. Sorry again for not updating for a VERY long time and for not this being a new chapter, but I hope you can forgive me. And if you have any questions/concerns, you can PM me. But I will not accept any personal questions.**


	18. Chapter 14

**Finally, I've done the next chapter! I'm very sorry if it doesn't meet your expectations and all. My writing is kinda of rusty after not writing for awhile and I haven't had the will to do it a long time, so yeah, I think it's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy this new twister.**

**A/N: I do not own Teen Titans.**

So the secret was finally out. Nightwing, the once admired member of the team before Beast Boy was kicked off, just ruined the rest of his reputation. To the team, he was no longer the leader. In their eyes, he was a traitor. His actions caused everyone to be out of sorts. Starfire was constantly crying. Cyborg just sat on Beast Boy's old rock (where he used to think) and just stared at the horizon. Raven was constantly meditating, always thinking about her green love. And even though the four didn't know about Shadow being Beast Boy, that doesn't mean he was unaffected as well. Shadow was punching bags in the training room and when nobody was around (with the exception of Nakama) he would practice his animal transformations. As for Nakama, well, let's just say she's going all she can to not punch Nightwing as hard as she can whenever she sees him. Cyborg once commented, "That girl packs quite a punch. It's about as powerful as all of us together, including the green dude." Translation: To not cross her unless you want your face to be pulverized.

Whenever there was a crime, the team (minus Shadow and Nakama who wasn't exactly completely trusted by the whole team yet) would put themselves together and head off whatever villain they meet. Unfortunately for the crooks, they choose a wrong time to get out and rob banks. The team was in a bad mood and the bad guys were lucky they were still alive after the beating they got.

However, during the missions, while the team would listen to Nightwing to an extent, they would sometimes do things he did not order them to do. Because of this, they got a full day of training, but to Cy, Star, and Rae, it was completely worth it.

One day, when the four had gone on their usual patrols around the city, Nakama and Shadow meditated on the roof peacefully. After a while, the latter broke the silence, asking Nakama quietly," Do you think I should tell them? That I'm Beast Boy?"

Nakama opened her eyes slowly and took some time to ponder on that question. "Honestly, Shadow, if they can't accept for you are NOW, then I'm not sure if they'll be able to believe you are their green guy."

Shadow chuckled softly, which surprised his partner, for he rarely laughed. "To you, it may seem that way. But to me, they miss me a whole lot." He turned his head to look at her. "Have you really not see that pain they've tried to hide? How their faces cringe when they see something that reminds me of them? Like video games, waffles, and a bunch of other stuff?"

Nakama chose her next words carefully," Well, I have noticed it to be perfectly honest. I'm not that dense, but it's just that, to them, you're a stranger that popped out of nowhere, but seems to know a lot about them. The other day, you helped fixed the Game Cube without blinking an eye and BB's the only one skilled enough to do that."

Shadow sighed, his eyes saddening slightly," I realize that. But what's your point, Nakama? You don't normally talk this much." His lips curled up into a hint of a smile.

Nakama laughed," That is true, but my point is, how can they believe that Shadow is Beast Boy and vice-versa? It's like you have the skills of someone they consider dear to them, but you also have the personality of someone ruthless. It can get pretty confusing."

Shadow uncrossed his legs and stood up, Nakama following his lead. "Now I see what you're trying to explain. Let me guess, sometimes, they hope I'm their old friend, but find their hopes crushed whenever they snap back to reality and remembered I appeared out of nowhere?" She nodded, confirming that he was right. "I know that it's unlikely they'll actually believe that I'm their old best bud and all, but it's hurting me that I can't tell them."

A smile crossed her face," Oh? I can think of a certain person you would love to tell." Shadow's face turned a light pink. She decided to continue with her teasing," Yup, you still want to protect her after all these years." Then her face turned serious, "Shadow, I know you want to tell them, except that bastard, but what about the consequences? Would they really accept that easily?"

Shadow sighed," I don't know all the answers, Nakama, but I'm not sure I can endure the pain radiating off of them anymore." Just then, the team arrived home, ending the conversation. The rest of the day went smoothly without a hitch.

A week passed by quickly. To everybody, it was like a blink of an eye and BAM! It's already a new day in a new week. During the past week, however, the potion that Rin-yasha and Zephyr was making would be ready in another week and by then, the Titans would be in deep trouble. And time is quickly running out for Shadow, who must make his decision, but the question is, what will the results be?

Normally, Shadow wasn't allowed to train with the other Titans, so he usually spied on them. One day, his spying paid off. When Nightwing called it a day and left, everybody started to swear at him. They would have gotten kicked off if they actually did it in front of him, so they did it behind their back, sometimes literally. Nakama found it very amusing.

But something unusual happened. Normally they swore about how Nightwing cheated on Star for who knows how many times, but this time, they swore at him about kicking BB off and for hurting Star. Shadow's eyes widened and scooted closer to them, masking his energy so that Raven couldn't sense him.

Apparently, Star found out what happened and without explaining to that spandex wearing person (*coughsNightwingcoughs*), she broke up with him. Nightwing couldn't take that loss since it damaged his ego a ton. So, he smacked her as hard as he could and out of nowhere, Nakama punched his face as hard as she could and the ex-leader (not yet, but in Titans' eyes, yes) went through several walls and then landed in the ocean. His nose was broken, blood spurting out. He got knocked unconscious until the waves washed him ashore on the island that the Tower was on.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself," _How interesting. For Nightwing to lose his temper that easily, something else must have happened before this whole mess started."_

Nakama then started speaking telepathic with Shadow, who let her in his mind," _I know what you mean. From what Cyborg and Raven told me, he was finally starting to feel guilty after all these years, but decided to keep his mouth shut. The only thing that could cause Star to do the breaking up would be because that she found out and you know who he's going to blame."_

Shadow frowned, replying in a crisp mental voice," _You mean, he suspects my TRUE identity?"_

Nakama sighed mentally," _Well, he knows that only Beast Boy could know, therefore, he would suspect that he is close at hand. And the only logic explanation would be that it's you."_

The Beast then joined the conversation, growling slightly," _If I may interrupt this conversation, I think that you both are running out of time. Zephyr and Rin-yasha's plan are coming to a close and I fear that it may one of the hardest battles we ever fought. As for telling the Titans your true identity, Shadow, it's best if you do it soon."_

Shadow raised an eyebrow," _And why is that, Beast? It can't be that urgent, can it?"_

Beast snorted in amusement," _If it were only that simple. No, it's because that since Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire knows that Nightwing suspects you as Beast Boy, they will as well since that leader of theirs has sharp instincts."_

Shadow sighed," _I'll think about it, I promise. But for now, let's end this conversation. But I most likely will tell them tomorrow."_

**Well that's it folks! Sorry if it didn't satisfy your curiosity, but that IS my job as a writer after all! Anyway, I was planning on making this longer, with Shadow revealing his identity and all, but I have 3 problems. 1. To keep the suspense so that you guys will continue reading. 2. I need my notes, which apparently, I can't find, sorry guys. And 3. I don't have a lot of time on my hands, so don't expect the chapters to be super long in the near future.**

**See ya guys later! *waves good-bye* And don't forget a review! No flames or I'll hunt them down myself!**


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